diff --git a/examples/streamplace_chat.zig b/examples/streamplace_chat.zig
index 9fbcae0..36a1358 100644
--- a/examples/streamplace_chat.zig
+++ b/examples/streamplace_chat.zig
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 //!
 //! run: zig build example-streamplace-chat -- iame.li
 //!      zig build example-streamplace-chat -- at://did:plc:.../place.stream.livestream/3...
+//!
+//! the archive endpoints are bearer-gated; set JETSTREAM_ARCHIVE_API_KEY or
+//! the example skips the archive and replays over the live socket only.
 
 const std = @import("std");
 const zat = @import("zat");
@@ -92,6 +95,7 @@ const ChatPrinter = struct {
 pub fn main(init: std.process.Init) !void {
     const allocator = init.gpa;
     const args = try init.minimal.args.toSlice(init.arena.allocator());
+    const api_key = init.minimal.environ.getAlloc(init.arena.allocator(), "JETSTREAM_ARCHIVE_API_KEY") catch null;
     if (args.len != 2) {
         std.debug.print("usage: zig build example-streamplace-chat -- <handle|livestream-at-uri>\n", .{});
         return error.MissingStream;
@@ -210,9 +214,14 @@ pub fn main(init: std.process.Init) !void {
     // capture began replays completely — including messages later deleted.
     // The witnessed-time window maps to plan seq bounds, which keeps the
     // fetch to the handful of blocks the session actually touches.
-    const bounds = try jetstream_sdk.ArchiveBackfill.fetchSeqBounds(init.io, allocator, archive_host, start_us, end_cursor, null);
+    const bounds: jetstream_sdk.ArchiveBackfill.SeqBounds = if (api_key != null)
+        try jetstream_sdk.ArchiveBackfill.fetchSeqBounds(init.io, allocator, archive_host, start_us, end_cursor, api_key)
+    else
+        .{ .covered = false, .after_seq = 0, .before_seq = null };
     var archive_boundary_us: ?i64 = null;
-    if (bounds.covered) {
+    if (api_key == null) {
+        std.debug.print("JETSTREAM_ARCHIVE_API_KEY unset; skipping the archive. Live replay may not include the full session history.\n", .{});
+    } else if (bounds.covered) {
         std.debug.print("replaying from the archive ({s})...\n\n", .{archive_host});
         const result = try jetstream_sdk.ArchiveBackfill.run(init.io, allocator, .{
             .host = archive_host,
@@ -220,6 +229,7 @@ pub fn main(init: std.process.Init) !void {
             .after_seq = bounds.after_seq,
             .before_seq = bounds.before_seq,
             .concurrency = 6,
+            .api_key = api_key,
         }, &printer);
         archive_boundary_us = result.last_time_us;
         std.debug.print("\narchive replay: {d} messages from {d} blocks\n", .{ printer.count, result.blocks_decoded });