diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 851cda89c0..cdcebe3882 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -55,6 +55,15 @@ jobs:
           token: ${{ secrets.CODECOV_TOKEN }}
 
   deploy-vite-example:
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        projects:
+          - name: Vite Example Development
+            project-id: prj_2Rq8kuNd0BmqKd2NwvkDjX9Htnx5
+            stream-api-key: rq7ntdb4zzsq
+          - name: Vite Example Public
+            project-id: prj_yBYBe1AJV0tbpTqxCMzcyRfFWXxP
+            stream-api-key: xzwhhgtazy6h
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     # skip if build fails
     needs:
@@ -62,8 +71,8 @@ jobs:
     name: Deploy Vite Example to Vercel
     env:
       VERCEL_ORG_ID: ${{ secrets.VERCEL_ORG_ID }}
-      VERCEL_PROJECT_ID: prj_2Rq8kuNd0BmqKd2NwvkDjX9Htnx5
-      VITE_STREAM_API_KEY: ${{ vars.VITE_STREAM_API_KEY }}
+      VERCEL_PROJECT_ID: ${{ matrix.projects.project-id }}
+      VITE_STREAM_API_KEY: ${{ matrix.projects.stream-api-key }}
       NODE_ENV: production
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v6
@@ -91,7 +100,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Vercel Pull/Build/Deploy (Preview)
         working-directory: examples/vite
         if: ${{ github.ref_name != 'master' }}
-        run: >
+        run: >-
           npx vercel pull --yes --environment=preview --token=${{ secrets.VERCEL_TOKEN }} &&
           npx vercel build &&
           npx vercel deploy --prebuilt --token=${{ secrets.VERCEL_TOKEN }}
@@ -99,7 +108,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Vercel Pull/Build/Deploy (Production)
         working-directory: examples/vite
         if: ${{ github.ref_name == 'master' }}
-        run: >
+        run: >-
           npx vercel pull --yes --environment=production --token=${{ secrets.VERCEL_TOKEN }} &&
           npx vercel build --prod &&
           npx vercel deploy --prod --prebuilt --token=${{ secrets.VERCEL_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/examples/vite/src/App.tsx b/examples/vite/src/App.tsx
index 501b506a23..b511bf8c05 100644
--- a/examples/vite/src/App.tsx
+++ b/examples/vite/src/App.tsx
@@ -68,6 +68,8 @@ import {
 import { ConfigurableMessageActions } from './CustomMessageActions';
 import { SidebarToggle } from './Sidebar/SidebarToggle.tsx';
 
+const PUBLIC_VITE_EXAMPLE_API_KEY = 'xzwhhgtazy6h';
+
 init({ data });
 
 const parseUserIdFromToken = (token: string) => {
@@ -125,12 +127,20 @@ const useUser = () => {
     localStorage.setItem('user_id', userId);
   }, [userId]);
 
+  const environment =
+    apiKey === PUBLIC_VITE_EXAMPLE_API_KEY
+      ? 'public-shared-chat-redesign'
+      : 'shared-chat-redesign';
+
+  const url = new URL('https://pronto.getstream.io/api/auth/create-token');
+
+  url.searchParams.set('environment', environment);
+  url.searchParams.set('user_id', userId);
+
   const tokenProvider = useCallback(() => {
     return token && userId === parseUserIdFromToken(token)
       ? Promise.resolve(token)
-      : fetch(
-          `https://pronto.getstream.io/api/auth/create-token?environment=shared-chat-redesign&user_id=${userId}`,
-        )
+      : fetch(url.toString())
           .then((response) => response.json())
           .then((data) => data.token as string);
   }, [userId]);
@@ -249,6 +259,7 @@ const App = () => {
       ...(userName && { name: userName }),
     },
   });
+
   const searchController = useMemo(() => {
     if (!chatClient) return undefined;
 
@@ -278,6 +289,14 @@ const App = () => {
           members: { $in: [userId] },
         },
         { type: 'public' },
+        // public example channels
+        {
+          cid: {
+            $in: ['random', 'general', 'music', 'jokes'].map(
+              (channelId) => `messaging:${channelId}`,
+            ),
+          },
+        },
       ],
     }),
     [userId],
diff --git a/examples/vite/src/ChatLayout/Panels.tsx b/examples/vite/src/ChatLayout/Panels.tsx
index a65b445503..9a1159a2f0 100644
--- a/examples/vite/src/ChatLayout/Panels.tsx
+++ b/examples/vite/src/ChatLayout/Panels.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 import clsx from 'clsx';
-import type { ChannelFilters, ChannelOptions, ChannelSort } from 'stream-chat';
-import { useEffect, useRef } from 'react';
+import type {
+  ChannelFilters,
+  ChannelMemberResponse,
+  ChannelOptions,
+  ChannelSort,
+} from 'stream-chat';
+import { useCallback, useEffect, useRef } from 'react';
 import {
   AIStateIndicator,
   Channel,
@@ -21,6 +26,8 @@ import {
   useChatContext,
   type ChatViewSelectorEntry,
   useThreadsViewContext,
+  Button,
+  useChannelMembersState,
 } from 'stream-chat-react';
 
 import { useAppSettingsSelector } from '../AppSettings/state';
@@ -97,6 +104,34 @@ const ResponsiveChannelPanels = () => {
   );
 };
 
+const HeaderStartContent = () => {
+  const { client } = useChatContext();
+  const { channel } = useChannelStateContext();
+  const members = useChannelMembersState(channel);
+  const membership = members[client.userID!] as ChannelMemberResponse | undefined;
+
+  const isMember = typeof membership?.channel_role === 'string';
+  const canJoin = channel.data?.own_capabilities?.includes('join-channel');
+
+  const handleClick = useCallback(() => {
+    if (isMember) {
+      channel.removeMembers([client.userID!]).then(() => {
+        channel.watch();
+      });
+    } else {
+      channel.addMembers([client.userID!]);
+    }
+  }, [isMember]);
+
+  if (!canJoin) return null;
+
+  return (
+    <Button onClick={handleClick} variant='secondary' appearance='outline' size='sm'>
+      {isMember ? 'Leave' : 'Join'}
+    </Button>
+  );
+};
+
 export const ChannelsPanels = ({
   filters,
   iconOnly,
@@ -148,6 +183,7 @@ export const ChannelsPanels = ({
             }}
           >
             <ChannelList
+              onRemovedFromChannel={() => {}}
               customActiveChannel={initialChannelId}
               filters={filters}
               options={options}
@@ -157,7 +193,7 @@ export const ChannelsPanels = ({
           </WithComponents>
         </div>
         <SidebarResizeHandle layoutRef={channelsLayoutRef} />
-        <WithComponents overrides={{ TypingIndicator }}>
+        <WithComponents overrides={{ TypingIndicator, HeaderStartContent }}>
           <Channel>
             <ResponsiveChannelPanels />
           </Channel>