diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index 4343ff1..3a14c3e 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -27,14 +27,14 @@
   }
   #repo {
     position: fixed;
-    top: 170px;
+    top: 220px;
   }
   #menu {
     position: fixed;
     top: 0px;
     left: 0px;
     right: 0px;
-    height: 170px;
+    height: 220px;
     margin-bottom: 20px;
     margin-left: 20px;
     margin-left: auto;
@@ -69,6 +69,15 @@
     background-color: #fff;
     filter: drop-shadow( 0px 2px 2px rgba(150, 150, 150, 0.2));
   }
+  #tokenInput {
+    font-family: SFMono-Regular, Menlo, Monaco, Consolas, "Liberation Mono", "Courier New", monospace;
+    padding: 5px 7px;
+    border: 1px solid #bbb;
+    outline: none;
+    background-color: #fff;
+    filter: drop-shadow( 0px 1px 1px rgba(150, 150, 150, 0.2));
+    border-radius: 2px;
+  }
   #repoButton {
     display: inline-block;
     font-family: SFMono-Regular, Menlo, Monaco, Consolas, "Liberation Mono", "Courier New", monospace;
@@ -132,6 +141,20 @@
     color: black;
     font-size: 0.8em;
   }
+  #saveToken, #clearToken {
+    font-family: SFMono-Regular, Menlo, Monaco, Consolas, "Liberation Mono", "Courier New", monospace;
+    cursor: pointer;
+    background-color: #bbb;
+    border: 0px;
+    filter: drop-shadow( 0px 1px 1px rgba(150, 150, 150, 0.2));
+    border-radius: 2px;
+  }
+  #saveToken:hover, #clearToken:hover {
+    background-color: #999;
+  }
+  #auth-toggle:hover {
+    text-decoration: underline;
+  }
   a {
     color: #444;
   }
@@ -144,6 +167,17 @@ <h1>repofiles</h1>
     <div id=inputs>
       <input id="repoInput" type="text" placeholder="enter a github repo url"></input>
       <button id="repoButton">go</button>
+    </div>
+    <div id="auth-section">
+      <div id="auth-toggle" style="margin-top: 10px; cursor: pointer; color: #47b7f8; font-size: 0.9em;">
+        🔒 Add GitHub token for private repos
+      </div>
+      <div id="auth-inputs" style="display: none; margin-top: 10px;">
+        <input id="tokenInput" type="password" placeholder="GitHub Personal Access Token" style="width: 70%; padding: 5px; margin-right: 5px; font-size: 0.9em;">
+        <button id="saveToken" style="padding: 5px 10px; font-size: 0.9em;">Save</button>
+        <button id="clearToken" style="padding: 5px 10px; font-size: 0.9em; margin-left: 5px;">Clear</button>
+        <div id="token-status" style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 5px;"></div>
+      </div>
     </div>
       <div id="status"></div>
   </div>
@@ -168,32 +202,83 @@ <h1>repofiles</h1>
   document.getElementById('status').textContent = text;
 }
 
+function getGitHubToken() {
+  return localStorage.getItem('github-token');
+}
+
+function setGitHubToken(token) {
+  if (token && token.trim()) {
+    localStorage.setItem('github-token', token.trim());
+    updateTokenStatus();
+  }
+}
+
+function clearGitHubToken() {
+  localStorage.removeItem('github-token');
+  updateTokenStatus();
+}
+
+function updateTokenStatus() {
+  const token = getGitHubToken();
+  const statusDiv = document.getElementById('token-status');
+  if (token) {
+    statusDiv.textContent = '✓ Token saved (can access private repos)';
+    statusDiv.style.color = 'green';
+  } else {
+    statusDiv.textContent = 'No token (public repos only)';
+    statusDiv.style.color = '#666';
+  }
+}
+
 async function fetchGitHub(url, after) {
+  const token = getGitHubToken();
+  const headers = {
+    "Accept": "application/vnd.github+json",
+    "X-GitHub-Api-Version": "2022-11-28"
+  };
+  
+  if (token) {
+    headers["Authorization"] = `Bearer ${token}`;
+  }
+  
   const options = {
     method: "GET",
-    headers: {
-      "Accept": "application/vnd.github+json",
-      "X-GitHub-Api-Version": "2022-11-28"
-    }
+    headers: headers
   };
   try {
     const response = await fetch(url, options);
     if (!response.ok) {
+      if (response.status === 401) {
+        setStatus('Authentication failed. Check your GitHub token.');
+        return;
+      } else if (response.status === 403) {
+        setStatus('Access forbidden. Token may lack necessary permissions.');
+        return;
+      } else if (response.status === 404) {
+        setStatus('Repository not found. Check the URL or ensure you have access.');
+        return;
+      }
       throw new Error(`HTTP error! Status: ${response.status}`);
     }
     const data = await response.json();
     if ('message' in data) {
       if (data.message && data.message.startsWith('API rate limit exceeded')) {
-        setStatus('GitHub API rate limit exceeded. Wait, or try from another device.', );
+        setStatus('GitHub API rate limit exceeded. Wait, or try from another device.');
+      } else if (data.message && data.message.includes('Bad credentials')) {
+        setStatus('Invalid GitHub token. Please check your token.');
       } else {
-        setStatus('An unknown error occurred. You can @BenjDicken on twitter.');
+        setStatus(`GitHub API error: ${data.message}`);
       }
     } else {
       after(data);
     }
   } catch (error) {
-    console.error("Error fetching the latest commit:", error);
-    setStatus('An unknown error occurred. You can @BenjDicken on twitter.');
+    console.error("Error fetching from GitHub:", error);
+    if (error.message.includes('Failed to fetch')) {
+      setStatus('Network error. Check your internet connection.');
+    } else {
+      setStatus('An unknown error occurred. You can @BenjDicken on twitter.');
+    }
   }
 }
 
@@ -256,7 +341,7 @@ <h1>repofiles</h1>
   
 function draw(data) {
   let width = window.innerWidth;
-  let height = window.innerHeight - 170;
+  let height = window.innerHeight - 220;
   let wh = Math.min(width, height);
   const svg = d3.select("#repo")
     .append("svg")
@@ -430,6 +515,35 @@ <h1>repofiles</h1>
   }
 });
 
+// Authentication UI event listeners
+document.getElementById('auth-toggle').addEventListener('click', function() {
+  const authInputs = document.getElementById('auth-inputs');
+  const isVisible = authInputs.style.display === 'block';
+  authInputs.style.display = isVisible ? 'none' : 'block';
+  this.textContent = isVisible ? '🔒 Add GitHub token for private repos' : '🔒 Hide GitHub token settings';
+});
+
+document.getElementById('saveToken').addEventListener('click', function() {
+  const token = document.getElementById('tokenInput').value;
+  setGitHubToken(token);
+  document.getElementById('tokenInput').value = '';
+});
+
+document.getElementById('clearToken').addEventListener('click', function() {
+  clearGitHubToken();
+});
+
+document.getElementById('tokenInput').addEventListener('keydown', function(event) {
+  if (event.key === "Enter") {
+    const token = this.value;
+    setGitHubToken(token);
+    this.value = '';
+  }
+});
+
+// Initialize token status on page load
+updateTokenStatus();
+
 if (!getRepoInfoFromURL()) {
   // If no repo specified in URL,
   // Initially just load the json file from the server for neovim