diff --git a/src/maggma/api/resource/core.py b/src/maggma/api/resource/core.py
index 636c76053..4ffef2122 100644
--- a/src/maggma/api/resource/core.py
+++ b/src/maggma/api/resource/core.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 from pydantic import BaseModel
 from starlette.responses import RedirectResponse
 
+from maggma.api.query_operator import QueryOperator
 from maggma.api.utils import STORE_PARAMS, api_sanitize
 from maggma.utils import dynamic_import
 
@@ -106,3 +107,9 @@ def process_header(self, response: Response, request: Request):
         It can use data in the upstream request to generate the header.
         (https://fastapi.tiangolo.com/advanced/response-headers/#use-a-response-parameter).
         """
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    def configure_query_on_request(self, request: Request, query_operator: QueryOperator) -> STORE_PARAMS:
+        """
+        This method takes in a FastAPI Request object and returns a query to be used in the store.
+        """
diff --git a/src/maggma/api/resource/read_resource.py b/src/maggma/api/resource/read_resource.py
index 1bf3aa5ee..60d97f4a5 100644
--- a/src/maggma/api/resource/read_resource.py
+++ b/src/maggma/api/resource/read_resource.py
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ def __init__(
         key_fields: Optional[list[str]] = None,
         hint_scheme: Optional[HintScheme] = None,
         header_processor: Optional[HeaderProcessor] = None,
+        query_to_configure_on_request: Optional[QueryOperator] = None,
         timeout: Optional[int] = None,
         enable_get_by_key: bool = False,
         enable_default_search: bool = True,
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ def __init__(
             query_operators: Operators for the query language
             hint_scheme: The hint scheme to use for this resource
             header_processor: The header processor to use for this resource
+            query_to_configure_on_request: Query operator to configure on request
             timeout: Time in seconds Pymongo should wait when querying MongoDB
                 before raising a timeout error
             key_fields: List of fields to always project. Default uses SparseFieldsQuery
@@ -66,6 +68,7 @@ def __init__(
         self.tags = tags or []
         self.hint_scheme = hint_scheme
         self.header_processor = header_processor
+        self.query_to_configure_on_request = query_to_configure_on_request
         self.key_fields = key_fields
         self.versioned = False
         self.enable_get_by_key = enable_get_by_key
@@ -196,10 +199,16 @@ def search(**queries: dict[str, STORE_PARAMS]) -> Union[dict, Response]:
             request: Request = queries.pop("request")  # type: ignore
             temp_response: Response = queries.pop("temp_response")  # type: ignore
 
+            if self.query_to_configure_on_request is not None:
+                # give the key name "request", arbitrary choice, as only the value gets merged into the query
+                queries["groups"] = self.header_processor.configure_query_on_request(
+                    request=request, query_operator=self.query_to_configure_on_request
+                )
+            # allowed query parameters
             query_params = [
                 entry for _, i in enumerate(self.query_operators) for entry in signature(i.query).parameters
             ]
-
+            # check for overlap between allowed query parameters and request query parameters
             overlap = [key for key in request.query_params if key not in query_params]
             if any(overlap):
                 if "limit" in overlap or "skip" in overlap:
@@ -208,7 +217,6 @@ def search(**queries: dict[str, STORE_PARAMS]) -> Union[dict, Response]:
                         detail="'limit' and 'skip' parameters have been renamed. "
                         "Please update your API client to the newest version.",
                     )
-
                 else:
                     raise HTTPException(
                         status_code=400,
diff --git a/tests/api/test_read_resource.py b/tests/api/test_read_resource.py
index 79ca5cf64..0adc2dec8 100644
--- a/tests/api/test_read_resource.py
+++ b/tests/api/test_read_resource.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 
 from maggma.api.query_operator import NumericQuery, SparseFieldsQuery, StringQueryOperator
 from maggma.api.resource import ReadOnlyResource
-from maggma.api.resource.core import HintScheme
+from maggma.api.resource.core import HeaderProcessor, HintScheme
 from maggma.stores import AliasingStore, MemoryStore
 
 
@@ -32,6 +32,18 @@ class Owner(BaseModel):
 total_owners = len(owners)
 
 
+# Create a subclass of the header processor to prevent TypeErrors:
+#  Can't instantiate abstract class HeaderProcessor with abstract methods
+class TestHeaderProcessor(HeaderProcessor):
+    def configure_query_on_request(self, request, query_operator):
+        # Implement the method
+        return {"name": "PersonAge9"}
+
+    def process_header(self, response, request):
+        # Implement the method
+        pass
+
+
 @pytest.fixture()
 def owner_store():
     store = MemoryStore("owners", key="name")
@@ -134,6 +146,8 @@ def search_helper(payload, base: str = "/?", debug=True) -> Response:
             NumericQuery(model=Owner),
             SparseFieldsQuery(model=Owner),
         ],
+        header_processor=TestHeaderProcessor(),
+        query_to_configure_on_request=StringQueryOperator(model=Owner),
         disable_validation=True,
     )
     app = FastAPI()
@@ -214,3 +228,16 @@ def test_resource_compound():
     assert len(data) == 1
     assert data[0]["name"] == "PersonAge20Weight200"
     assert "weight" not in data[0]
+
+
+def test_configure_query_on_request():
+    payload = {
+        "name": "PersonAge20Weight200",
+        "_all_fields": False,
+        "_fields": "name,age",
+        "weight_min": 199.3,
+        "weight_max": 201.9,
+        "age": 20,
+    }
+    res, data = search_helper(payload=payload, base="/?", debug=True)
+    assert res.status_code == 200