diff --git a/src/canonical/handler.js b/src/canonical/handler.js
index 8b295590..edd78a81 100644
--- a/src/canonical/handler.js
+++ b/src/canonical/handler.js
@@ -304,6 +304,83 @@ async function validateCanonicalTag(url, log) {
 //   };
 // }
 
+/**
+ * Validates the format of a canonical URL against a base URL.
+ *
+ * @param {string} canonicalUrl - The canonical URL to validate.
+ * @param {string} baseUrl - The base URL to compare against.
+ * @param log
+ * @returns {Array<Object>} Array of check results, each with a check and error if the check failed.
+ */
+
+function validateCanonicalUrlFormat(canonicalUrl, baseUrl, log) {
+  const url = new URL(canonicalUrl);
+  const base = new URL(baseUrl);
+  const checks = [];
+
+  // Check if the canonical URL is absolute
+  if (!url.href.startsWith('http://') && !url.href.startsWith('https://')) {
+    checks.push({
+      check: ChecksAndErrors.CANONICAL_URL_ABSOLUTE.check,
+      error: ChecksAndErrors.CANONICAL_URL_ABSOLUTE.error,
+    });
+    log.info(`Canonical URL is not absolute: ${canonicalUrl}`);
+  } else {
+    checks.push({
+      check: ChecksAndErrors.CANONICAL_URL_ABSOLUTE.check,
+      success: true,
+    });
+    log.info(`Canonical URL is absolute: ${canonicalUrl}`);
+  }
+
+  // Check if the canonical URL has the same protocol as the base URL
+  if (!url.href.startsWith(base.protocol)) {
+    checks.push({
+      check: ChecksAndErrors.CANONICAL_URL_SAME_PROTOCOL.check,
+      error: ChecksAndErrors.CANONICAL_URL_SAME_PROTOCOL.error,
+    });
+    log.info(`Canonical URL does not have the same protocol as base URL: ${canonicalUrl}`);
+  } else {
+    checks.push({
+      check: ChecksAndErrors.CANONICAL_URL_SAME_PROTOCOL.check,
+      success: true,
+    });
+    log.info(`Canonical URL has the same protocol as base URL: ${canonicalUrl}`);
+  }
+
+  // Check if the canonical URL has the same domain as the base URL
+  if (url.hostname !== base.hostname) {
+    checks.push({
+      check: ChecksAndErrors.CANONICAL_URL_SAME_DOMAIN.check,
+      error: ChecksAndErrors.CANONICAL_URL_SAME_DOMAIN.error,
+    });
+    log.info(`Canonical URL does not have the same domain as base URL: ${canonicalUrl}`);
+  } else {
+    checks.push({
+      check: ChecksAndErrors.CANONICAL_URL_SAME_DOMAIN.check,
+      success: true,
+    });
+    log.info(`Canonical URL has the same domain as base URL: ${canonicalUrl}`);
+  }
+
+  // Check if the canonical URL is in lowercase
+  if (canonicalUrl !== canonicalUrl.toLowerCase()) {
+    checks.push({
+      check: ChecksAndErrors.CANONICAL_URL_LOWERCASED.check,
+      error: ChecksAndErrors.CANONICAL_URL_LOWERCASED.error,
+    });
+    log.info(`Canonical URL is not in lowercase: ${canonicalUrl}`);
+  } else {
+    checks.push({
+      check: ChecksAndErrors.CANONICAL_URL_LOWERCASED.check,
+      success: true,
+    });
+    log.info(`Canonical URL is in lowercase: ${canonicalUrl}`);
+  }
+
+  return checks;
+}
+
 /**
  * Recursively validates the contents of a canonical URL.
  *
@@ -323,7 +400,7 @@ async function validateCanonicalUrlContentsRecursive(canonicalUrl, log, visitedU
       error: ChecksAndErrors.CANONICAL_URL_NO_REDIRECT.error,
       success: false,
     });
-    return { canonicalUrl, checks };
+    return checks;
   }
 
   // Add the current URL to the visited set
@@ -390,83 +467,6 @@ async function validateCanonicalUrlContentsRecursive(canonicalUrl, log, visitedU
     });
   }
 
-  return { canonicalUrl, checks };
-}
-
-/**
- * Validates the format of a canonical URL against a base URL.
- *
- * @param {string} canonicalUrl - The canonical URL to validate.
- * @param {string} baseUrl - The base URL to compare against.
- * @param log
- * @returns {Array<Object>} Array of check results, each with a check and error if the check failed.
- */
-
-function validateCanonicalUrlFormat(canonicalUrl, baseUrl, log) {
-  const url = new URL(canonicalUrl);
-  const base = new URL(baseUrl);
-  const checks = [];
-
-  // Check if the canonical URL is absolute
-  if (!url.href.startsWith('http://') && !url.href.startsWith('https://')) {
-    checks.push({
-      check: ChecksAndErrors.CANONICAL_URL_ABSOLUTE.check,
-      error: ChecksAndErrors.CANONICAL_URL_ABSOLUTE.error,
-    });
-    log.info(`Canonical URL is not absolute: ${canonicalUrl}`);
-  } else {
-    checks.push({
-      check: ChecksAndErrors.CANONICAL_URL_ABSOLUTE.check,
-      success: true,
-    });
-    log.info(`Canonical URL is absolute: ${canonicalUrl}`);
-  }
-
-  // Check if the canonical URL has the same protocol as the base URL
-  if (!url.href.startsWith(base.protocol)) {
-    checks.push({
-      check: ChecksAndErrors.CANONICAL_URL_SAME_PROTOCOL.check,
-      error: ChecksAndErrors.CANONICAL_URL_SAME_PROTOCOL.error,
-    });
-    log.info(`Canonical URL does not have the same protocol as base URL: ${canonicalUrl}`);
-  } else {
-    checks.push({
-      check: ChecksAndErrors.CANONICAL_URL_SAME_PROTOCOL.check,
-      success: true,
-    });
-    log.info(`Canonical URL has the same protocol as base URL: ${canonicalUrl}`);
-  }
-
-  // Check if the canonical URL has the same domain as the base URL
-  if (url.hostname !== base.hostname) {
-    checks.push({
-      check: ChecksAndErrors.CANONICAL_URL_SAME_DOMAIN.check,
-      error: ChecksAndErrors.CANONICAL_URL_SAME_DOMAIN.error,
-    });
-    log.info(`Canonical URL does not have the same domain as base URL: ${canonicalUrl}`);
-  } else {
-    checks.push({
-      check: ChecksAndErrors.CANONICAL_URL_SAME_DOMAIN.check,
-      success: true,
-    });
-    log.info(`Canonical URL has the same domain as base URL: ${canonicalUrl}`);
-  }
-
-  // Check if the canonical URL is in lowercase
-  if (canonicalUrl !== canonicalUrl.toLowerCase()) {
-    checks.push({
-      check: ChecksAndErrors.CANONICAL_URL_LOWERCASED.check,
-      error: ChecksAndErrors.CANONICAL_URL_LOWERCASED.error,
-    });
-    log.info(`Canonical URL is not in lowercase: ${canonicalUrl}`);
-  } else {
-    checks.push({
-      check: ChecksAndErrors.CANONICAL_URL_LOWERCASED.check,
-      success: true,
-    });
-    log.info(`Canonical URL is in lowercase: ${canonicalUrl}`);
-  }
-
   return checks;
 }