diff --git a/.changeset/perfect-files-yell.md b/.changeset/perfect-files-yell.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3df31b0559
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/perfect-files-yell.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@graphql-hive/cli': patch
+---
+
+Print a detailed error when a command is executed without a hive access token
diff --git a/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/app/create.ts b/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/app/create.ts
index a53457a447..2179ab49c9 100644
--- a/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/app/create.ts
+++ b/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/app/create.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import Command from '../../base-command';
 import { graphql } from '../../gql';
 import { AppDeploymentStatus } from '../../gql/graphql';
 import { graphqlEndpoint } from '../../helpers/config';
+import { ACCESS_TOKEN_MISSING } from '../../helpers/errors';
 
 export default class AppCreate extends Command<typeof AppCreate> {
   static description = 'create an app deployment';
@@ -46,6 +47,7 @@ export default class AppCreate extends Command<typeof AppCreate> {
       key: 'registry.accessToken',
       args: flags,
       env: 'HIVE_TOKEN',
+      message: ACCESS_TOKEN_MISSING,
     });
 
     const file: string = args.file;
diff --git a/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/app/publish.ts b/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/app/publish.ts
index fbc31e3b68..45a990be9a 100644
--- a/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/app/publish.ts
+++ b/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/app/publish.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { Flags } from '@oclif/core';
 import Command from '../../base-command';
 import { graphql } from '../../gql';
 import { graphqlEndpoint } from '../../helpers/config';
+import { ACCESS_TOKEN_MISSING } from '../../helpers/errors';
 
 export default class AppPublish extends Command<typeof AppPublish> {
   static description = 'publish an app deployment';
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ export default class AppPublish extends Command<typeof AppPublish> {
       key: 'registry.accessToken',
       args: flags,
       env: 'HIVE_TOKEN',
+      message: ACCESS_TOKEN_MISSING,
     });
 
     const result = await this.registryApi(endpoint, accessToken).request({
diff --git a/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/dev.ts b/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/dev.ts
index e7a56bbfd0..577f88e90f 100644
--- a/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/dev.ts
+++ b/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/dev.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import {
 import Command from '../base-command';
 import { graphql } from '../gql';
 import { graphqlEndpoint } from '../helpers/config';
+import { ACCESS_TOKEN_MISSING } from '../helpers/errors';
 import { loadSchema, renderErrors } from '../helpers/schema';
 import { invariant } from '../helpers/validation';
 
@@ -204,6 +205,7 @@ export default class Dev extends Command<typeof Dev> {
           legacyFlagName: 'token',
           args: flags,
           env: 'HIVE_TOKEN',
+          message: ACCESS_TOKEN_MISSING,
         });
 
         void this.watch(flags.watchInterval, serviceInputs, services =>
@@ -249,6 +251,7 @@ export default class Dev extends Command<typeof Dev> {
         legacyFlagName: 'token',
         args: flags,
         env: 'HIVE_TOKEN',
+        message: ACCESS_TOKEN_MISSING,
       });
 
       return this.compose({
diff --git a/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/operations/check.ts b/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/operations/check.ts
index 466e923f35..97688eee60 100644
--- a/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/operations/check.ts
+++ b/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/operations/check.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { Args, Errors, Flags, ux } from '@oclif/core';
 import Command from '../../base-command';
 import { graphql } from '../../gql';
 import { graphqlEndpoint } from '../../helpers/config';
+import { ACCESS_TOKEN_MISSING } from '../../helpers/errors';
 import { loadOperations } from '../../helpers/operations';
 
 const fetchLatestVersionQuery = graphql(/* GraphQL */ `
@@ -95,6 +96,7 @@ export default class OperationsCheck extends Command<typeof OperationsCheck> {
         args: flags,
         legacyFlagName: 'token',
         env: 'HIVE_TOKEN',
+        message: ACCESS_TOKEN_MISSING,
       });
       const graphqlTag = flags.graphqlTag;
       const globalGraphqlTag = flags.globalGraphqlTag;
diff --git a/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/schema/check.ts b/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/schema/check.ts
index dcb1af36c2..0a3af1ab52 100644
--- a/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/schema/check.ts
+++ b/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/schema/check.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { Args, Errors, Flags } from '@oclif/core';
 import Command from '../../base-command';
 import { graphql } from '../../gql';
 import { graphqlEndpoint } from '../../helpers/config';
+import { ACCESS_TOKEN_MISSING } from '../../helpers/errors';
 import { gitInfo } from '../../helpers/git';
 import {
   loadSchema,
@@ -169,6 +170,7 @@ export default class SchemaCheck extends Command<typeof SchemaCheck> {
         args: flags,
         legacyFlagName: 'token',
         env: 'HIVE_TOKEN',
+        message: ACCESS_TOKEN_MISSING,
       });
       const sdl = await loadSchema(file);
       const git = await gitInfo(() => {
diff --git a/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/schema/delete.ts b/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/schema/delete.ts
index 61e6c5e5ba..62ebfb7347 100644
--- a/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/schema/delete.ts
+++ b/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/schema/delete.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { Args, Errors, Flags, ux } from '@oclif/core';
 import Command from '../../base-command';
 import { graphql } from '../../gql';
 import { graphqlEndpoint } from '../../helpers/config';
+import { ACCESS_TOKEN_MISSING } from '../../helpers/errors';
 import { renderErrors } from '../../helpers/schema';
 
 const schemaDeleteMutation = graphql(/* GraphQL */ `
@@ -110,6 +111,7 @@ export default class SchemaDelete extends Command<typeof SchemaDelete> {
         args: flags,
         legacyFlagName: 'token',
         env: 'HIVE_TOKEN',
+        message: ACCESS_TOKEN_MISSING,
       });
 
       const result = await this.registryApi(endpoint, accessToken).request({
diff --git a/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/schema/fetch.ts b/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/schema/fetch.ts
index a2e729d9ac..ff50c43ace 100644
--- a/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/schema/fetch.ts
+++ b/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/schema/fetch.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { Args, Flags } from '@oclif/core';
 import Command from '../../base-command';
 import { graphql } from '../../gql';
 import { graphqlEndpoint } from '../../helpers/config';
+import { ACCESS_TOKEN_MISSING } from '../../helpers/errors';
 
 const SchemaVersionForActionIdQuery = graphql(/* GraphQL */ `
   query SchemaVersionForActionId(
@@ -83,6 +84,7 @@ export default class SchemaFetch extends Command<typeof SchemaFetch> {
       args: flags,
       legacyFlagName: 'token',
       env: 'HIVE_TOKEN',
+      message: ACCESS_TOKEN_MISSING,
     });
 
     const actionId: string = args.actionId;
diff --git a/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/schema/publish.ts b/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/schema/publish.ts
index 108f6260a0..a3603919e4 100644
--- a/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/schema/publish.ts
+++ b/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/schema/publish.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { Args, Errors, Flags } from '@oclif/core';
 import Command from '../../base-command';
 import { DocumentType, graphql } from '../../gql';
 import { graphqlEndpoint } from '../../helpers/config';
+import { ACCESS_TOKEN_MISSING } from '../../helpers/errors';
 import { gitInfo } from '../../helpers/git';
 import { loadSchema, minifySchema, renderChanges, renderErrors } from '../../helpers/schema';
 import { invariant } from '../../helpers/validation';
@@ -193,6 +194,7 @@ export default class SchemaPublish extends Command<typeof SchemaPublish> {
         args: flags,
         legacyFlagName: 'token',
         env: 'HIVE_TOKEN',
+        message: ACCESS_TOKEN_MISSING,
       });
       const service = flags.service;
       const url = flags.url;
diff --git a/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/whoami.ts b/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/whoami.ts
index 3ada6a5ed0..939f6b0a65 100644
--- a/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/whoami.ts
+++ b/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/whoami.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { Flags } from '@oclif/core';
 import Command from '../base-command';
 import { graphql } from '../gql';
 import { graphqlEndpoint } from '../helpers/config';
+import { ACCESS_TOKEN_MISSING } from '../helpers/errors';
 
 const myTokenInfoQuery = graphql(/* GraphQL */ `
   query myTokenInfo {
@@ -74,6 +75,7 @@ export default class WhoAmI extends Command<typeof WhoAmI> {
       legacyFlagName: 'token',
       args: flags,
       env: 'HIVE_TOKEN',
+      message: ACCESS_TOKEN_MISSING,
     });
 
     const result = await this.registryApi(registry, token)
diff --git a/packages/libraries/cli/src/helpers/errors.ts b/packages/libraries/cli/src/helpers/errors.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..964839fe3a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/libraries/cli/src/helpers/errors.ts
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+export const ACCESS_TOKEN_MISSING = `--registry.accessToken is required. For help generating an access token, see https://the-guild.dev/graphql/hive/docs/management/targets#registry-access-tokens`;