diff --git a/packages/core/admin/server/content-types/api-token.js b/packages/core/admin/server/content-types/api-token.js
index d78222e115..0d808cedd7 100644
--- a/packages/core/admin/server/content-types/api-token.js
+++ b/packages/core/admin/server/content-types/api-token.js
@@ -47,5 +47,12 @@ module.exports = {
       configurable: false,
       required: true,
     },
+    permissions: {
+      type: 'relation',
+      target: 'admin::token-permission',
+      relation: 'oneToMany',
+      mappedBy: 'token',
+      configurable: false,
+    },
   },
 };
diff --git a/packages/core/admin/server/content-types/index.js b/packages/core/admin/server/content-types/index.js
index b665381c49..a4a126c818 100644
--- a/packages/core/admin/server/content-types/index.js
+++ b/packages/core/admin/server/content-types/index.js
@@ -5,4 +5,5 @@ module.exports = {
   user: { schema: require('./User') },
   role: { schema: require('./Role') },
   'api-token': { schema: require('./api-token') },
+  'token-permission': { schema: require('./token-permission') },
 };
diff --git a/packages/core/admin/server/content-types/token-permission.js b/packages/core/admin/server/content-types/token-permission.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..39f755da6a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/core/admin/server/content-types/token-permission.js
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+'use strict';
+
+module.exports = {
+  collectionName: 'strapi_token_permissions',
+  info: {
+    name: 'API Token Permission',
+    description: '',
+    singularName: 'token-permission',
+    pluralName: 'token-permissions',
+    displayName: 'API Token Permission',
+  },
+  options: {},
+  pluginOptions: {
+    'content-manager': {
+      visible: false,
+    },
+    'content-type-builder': {
+      visible: false,
+    },
+  },
+  attributes: {
+    action: {
+      type: 'string',
+      minLength: 1,
+      configurable: false,
+      required: true,
+    },
+    token: {
+      configurable: false,
+      type: 'relation',
+      relation: 'manyToOne',
+      inversedBy: 'permissions',
+      target: 'admin::api-token',
+    },
+  },
+};
diff --git a/packages/core/admin/server/services/api-token.js b/packages/core/admin/server/services/api-token.js
index 47b344872b..8dcdb1e8da 100644
--- a/packages/core/admin/server/services/api-token.js
+++ b/packages/core/admin/server/services/api-token.js
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 'use strict';
 
 const crypto = require('crypto');
+const { omit } = require('lodash/fp');
 
 /**
- * @typedef {'read-only'|'full-access'} TokenType
+ * @typedef {'read-only'|'full-access'|'custom'} TokenType
  */
 
 /**
@@ -14,11 +15,35 @@ const crypto = require('crypto');
  * @property {string} [description]
  * @property {string} accessKey
  * @property {TokenType} type
+ * @property {(number|ApiTokenPermission)[]} [permissions]
+ */
+
+/**
+ * @typedef ApiTokenPermission
+ *
+ * @property {number|string} id
+ * @property {string} action
+ * @property {ApiToken|number} [token]
  */
 
 /** @constant {Array<string>} */
 const SELECT_FIELDS = ['id', 'name', 'description', 'type', 'createdAt'];
 
+/** @constant {Array<string>} */
+const POPULATE_FIELDS = ['permissions'];
+
+const assertCustomTokenPermissionsValidity = attributes => {
+  // Ensure non-custom tokens doesn't have permissions
+  if (attributes.type !== 'custom' && attributes.permissions) {
+    throw new Error('Non-custom tokens should not references permissions');
+  }
+
+  // Custom type tokens should always have permissions attached to them
+  if (attributes.type === 'custom' && !attributes.permissions) {
+    throw new Error('Missing permissions attributes for custom token');
+  }
+};
+
 /**
  * @param {Object} whereParams
  * @param {string|number} [whereParams.id]
@@ -50,6 +75,7 @@ const hash = accessKey => {
  * @param {Object} attributes
  * @param {TokenType} attributes.type
  * @param {string} attributes.name
+ * @param {string[]} [attributes.permissions]
  * @param {string} [attributes.description]
  *
  * @returns {Promise<ApiToken>}
@@ -57,18 +83,29 @@ const hash = accessKey => {
 const create = async attributes => {
   const accessKey = crypto.randomBytes(128).toString('hex');
 
+  assertCustomTokenPermissionsValidity(attributes);
+
+  // Create the token
   const apiToken = await strapi.query('admin::api-token').create({
     select: SELECT_FIELDS,
     data: {
-      ...attributes,
+      ...omit('permissions', attributes),
       accessKey: hash(accessKey),
     },
   });
 
-  return {
-    ...apiToken,
-    accessKey,
-  };
+  const result = { ...apiToken, accessKey };
+
+  // If this is a custom type token, create and link the associated permissions
+  if (attributes.type === 'custom') {
+    const permissions = await strapi
+      .query('admin::token-permissions')
+      .createMany({ data: permissions.map(action => ({ action, token: apiToken.id })) });
+
+    Object.assign(result, { permissions });
+  }
+
+  return result;
 };
 
 /**
@@ -97,6 +134,7 @@ For security reasons, prefer storing the secret in an environment variable and r
 const list = async () => {
   return strapi.query('admin::api-token').findMany({
     select: SELECT_FIELDS,
+    populate: POPULATE_FIELDS,
     orderBy: { name: 'ASC' },
   });
 };
@@ -107,7 +145,9 @@ const list = async () => {
  * @returns {Promise<Omit<ApiToken, 'accessKey'>>}
  */
 const revoke = async id => {
-  return strapi.query('admin::api-token').delete({ select: SELECT_FIELDS, where: { id } });
+  return strapi
+    .query('admin::api-token')
+    .delete({ select: SELECT_FIELDS, populate: POPULATE_FIELDS, where: { id } });
 };
 
 /**
@@ -138,9 +178,14 @@ const getByName = async name => {
  * @returns {Promise<Omit<ApiToken, 'accessKey'>>}
  */
 const update = async (id, attributes) => {
-  return strapi
-    .query('admin::api-token')
-    .update({ where: { id }, data: attributes, select: SELECT_FIELDS });
+  assertCustomTokenPermissionsValidity(attributes);
+
+  return strapi.query('admin::api-token').update({
+    select: SELECT_FIELDS,
+    populate: POPULATE_FIELDS,
+    where: { id },
+    data: omit('permissions', attributes),
+  });
 };
 
 /**
@@ -157,7 +202,9 @@ const getBy = async (whereParams = {}) => {
     return null;
   }
 
-  return strapi.query('admin::api-token').findOne({ select: SELECT_FIELDS, where: whereParams });
+  return strapi
+    .query('admin::api-token')
+    .findOne({ select: SELECT_FIELDS, populate: POPULATE_FIELDS, where: whereParams });
 };
 
 module.exports = {
diff --git a/packages/core/admin/server/services/constants.js b/packages/core/admin/server/services/constants.js
index e294c4a77a..f9de980700 100644
--- a/packages/core/admin/server/services/constants.js
+++ b/packages/core/admin/server/services/constants.js
@@ -13,5 +13,6 @@ module.exports = {
   API_TOKEN_TYPE: {
     READ_ONLY: 'read-only',
     FULL_ACCESS: 'full-access',
+    CUSTOM: 'custom',
   },
 };
diff --git a/packages/core/admin/server/strategies/api-token.js b/packages/core/admin/server/strategies/api-token.js
index 4c3f537743..eae039632c 100644
--- a/packages/core/admin/server/strategies/api-token.js
+++ b/packages/core/admin/server/strategies/api-token.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 'use strict';
 
+const { castArray } = require('lodash/fp');
 const { UnauthorizedError, ForbiddenError } = require('@strapi/utils').errors;
 const constants = require('../services/constants');
 const { getService } = require('../utils');
@@ -37,29 +38,52 @@ const authenticate = async ctx => {
     return { authenticated: false };
   }
 
+  if (apiToken.type === constants.API_TOKEN_TYPE.CUSTOM) {
+    const ability = await strapi.contentAPI.permissions.engine.generateAbility(
+      apiToken.permissions.map(({ action }) => ({ action }))
+    );
+
+    return { authenticated: true, ability, credentials: apiToken };
+  }
+
   return { authenticated: true, credentials: apiToken };
 };
 
 /** @type {import('.').VerifyFunction} */
 const verify = (auth, config) => {
-  const { credentials: apiToken } = auth;
+  const { credentials: apiToken, ability } = auth;
 
   if (!apiToken) {
     throw new UnauthorizedError();
   }
 
+  // Full access
   if (apiToken.type === constants.API_TOKEN_TYPE.FULL_ACCESS) {
     return;
   }
 
-  /**
-   * If you don't have `full-access` you can only access `find` and `findOne`
-   * scopes. If the route has no scope, then you can't get access to it.
-   */
+  // Read only
+  else if (apiToken.type === constants.API_TOKEN_TYPE.READ_ONLY) {
+    /**
+     * If you don't have `full-access` you can only access `find` and `findOne`
+     * scopes. If the route has no scope, then you can't get access to it.
+     */
+    const scopes = castArray(config.scope);
 
-  const scopes = Array.isArray(config.scope) ? config.scope : [config.scope];
-  if (config.scope && scopes.every(isReadScope)) {
-    return;
+    if (config.scope && scopes.every(isReadScope)) {
+      return;
+    }
+  }
+
+  // Custom
+  else if (apiToken.type === constants.API_TOKEN_TYPE.CUSTOM && ability) {
+    const scopes = castArray(config.scope);
+
+    const isAllowed = scopes.every(scope => ability.can(scope));
+
+    if (isAllowed) {
+      return;
+    }
   }
 
   throw new ForbiddenError();