diff --git a/examples/Web-AuthBasic.ps1 b/examples/Web-AuthBasic.ps1
index 25815359a..e0a886a02 100644
--- a/examples/Web-AuthBasic.ps1
+++ b/examples/Web-AuthBasic.ps1
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ Start-PodeServer -Threads 2 {
         return @{ Message = 'Invalid details supplied' }
     }
 
+    
     # POST request to get current user (since there's no session, authentication will always happen)
     Add-PodeRoute -Method Post -Path '/users' -Authentication 'Validate' -ScriptBlock {
         Write-PodeJsonResponse -Value @{
diff --git a/examples/Web-UsePodeAuth.ps1 b/examples/Web-UsePodeAuth.ps1
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d72c8ff20
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/Web-UsePodeAuth.ps1
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+<#
+.SYNOPSIS
+    A PowerShell script to set up a Pode server with API key authentication and various route configurations.
+
+.DESCRIPTION
+    Sets up a Pode server that listens on a specified port, enables request and error logging, and configures API key
+    authentication. The script uses the `Use-PodeAuth` function to load and apply the authentication defined in
+    `./auth/SampleAuth.ps1`. The authentication is applied globally to the API routes using `Add-PodeAuthMiddleware`.
+    The script defines a route to fetch a list of users, which requires authentication using a specified location
+    for the API key (Header, Query, or Cookie).
+
+.PARAMETER Location
+    Specifies where the API key is expected. Valid values are 'Header', 'Query', and 'Cookie'. Default is 'Header'.
+
+.EXAMPLE
+    To run the sample:
+
+    ```powershell
+    ./Web-UsePodeAuth.ps1
+    ```
+    Then, make a request to get users with an API key:
+
+    ```powershell
+    Invoke-RestMethod -Uri 'http://localhost:8081/api/users' -Method Get -Headers @{ 'X-API-KEY' = 'test-api-key' }
+    ```
+
+.LINK
+    https://github.com/Badgerati/Pode/blob/develop/examples/Web-UsePodeAuth.ps1
+
+.NOTES
+    The `Use-PodeAuth` function is used to load the authentication script located at `./auth/SampleAuth.ps1`. The
+    authentication is then enforced using `Add-PodeAuthMiddleware` to protect the `/api/*` routes.
+
+.NOTES
+    Author: Pode Team
+    License: MIT License
+#>
+
+param(
+    [Parameter()]
+    [ValidateSet('Header', 'Query', 'Cookie')]
+    [string]
+    $Location = 'Header'
+)
+
+try {
+    # Determine the script path and Pode module path
+    $ScriptPath = (Split-Path -Parent -Path $MyInvocation.MyCommand.Path)
+    $podePath = Split-Path -Parent -Path $ScriptPath
+
+    # Import the Pode module from the source path if it exists, otherwise from installed modules
+    if (Test-Path -Path "$($podePath)/src/Pode.psm1" -PathType Leaf) {
+        Import-Module "$($podePath)/src/Pode.psm1" -Force -ErrorAction Stop
+    }
+    else {
+        Import-Module -Name 'Pode' -MaximumVersion 2.99 -ErrorAction Stop
+    }
+}
+catch { throw }
+
+# or just:
+# Import-Module Pode
+
+# create a server, and start listening on port 8081
+Start-PodeServer -Threads 2 {
+
+    # listen on localhost:8081
+    Add-PodeEndpoint -Address localhost -Port 8081 -Protocol Http
+
+    New-PodeLoggingMethod -File -Name 'requests' | Enable-PodeRequestLogging
+    New-PodeLoggingMethod -Terminal | Enable-PodeErrorLogging
+
+    Use-PodeAuth
+
+    Add-PodeAuthMiddleware -Name 'globalAuthValidation' -Authentication 'Validate' -Route '/api/*'
+
+    # GET request to get list of users (since there's no session, authentication will always happen)
+    Add-PodeRoute -Method Get -Path '/api/users' -ScriptBlock {
+        Write-PodeJsonResponse -Value @{
+            Users = @(
+                @{
+                    Name = 'Deep Thought'
+                    Age  = 42
+                },
+                @{
+                    Name = 'Leeroy Jenkins'
+                    Age  = 1337
+                }
+            )
+        }
+    }
+
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/examples/auth/SampleAuth.ps1 b/examples/auth/SampleAuth.ps1
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0c2f230cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/auth/SampleAuth.ps1
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# setup bearer auth
+New-PodeAuthScheme -ApiKey -Location $Location | Add-PodeAuth -Name 'Validate' -Sessionless -ScriptBlock {
+    param($key)
+
+    # here you'd check a real user storage, this is just for example
+    if ($key -ieq 'test-api-key') {
+        return @{
+            User = @{
+                ID   = 'M0R7Y302'
+                Name = 'Morty'
+                Type = 'Human'
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    return $null
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Private/OpenApi.ps1 b/src/Private/OpenApi.ps1
index 2acb348d3..de5d691b3 100644
--- a/src/Private/OpenApi.ps1
+++ b/src/Private/OpenApi.ps1
@@ -1372,8 +1372,12 @@ This is an internal function and may change in future releases of Pode.
 function Initialize-PodeOpenApiTable {
     param(
         [string]
-        $DefaultDefinitionTag = 'default'
+        $DefaultDefinitionTag
     )
+
+    if ([string]::IsNullOrEmpty($DefaultDefinitionTag)) {
+        $DefaultDefinitionTag = 'default'
+    }
     # Initialization of the OpenAPI table with default settings
     $OpenAPI = @{
         DefinitionTagSelectionStack = [System.Collections.Generic.Stack[System.Object]]::new()