diff --git a/src/backlinks/handler.js b/src/backlinks/handler.js
index 3b825cc3..86fa774b 100644
--- a/src/backlinks/handler.js
+++ b/src/backlinks/handler.js
@@ -15,48 +15,11 @@ import {
 } from '@adobe/spacecat-shared-http-utils';
 import { composeAuditURL } from '@adobe/spacecat-shared-utils';
 import AhrefsAPIClient from '@adobe/spacecat-shared-ahrefs-client';
-import { AbortController, AbortError } from '@adobe/fetch';
 import { retrieveSiteBySiteId } from '../utils/data-access.js';
-import { enhanceBacklinksWithFixes, fetch } from '../support/utils.js';
-
-const TIMEOUT = 3000;
+import { enhanceBacklinksWithFixes, isStillBrokenURL } from '../support/utils.js';
 
 export async function filterOutValidBacklinks(backlinks, log) {
-  const fetchWithTimeout = async (url, timeout) => {
-    const controller = new AbortController();
-    const { signal } = controller;
-    const id = setTimeout(() => controller.abort(), timeout);
-
-    try {
-      const response = await fetch(url, { signal });
-      clearTimeout(id);
-      return response;
-    } catch (error) {
-      if (error instanceof AbortError) {
-        log.warn(`Request to ${url} timed out after ${timeout}ms`);
-        return { ok: false, status: 408 };
-      }
-    } finally {
-      clearTimeout(id);
-    }
-    return null;
-  };
-
-  const isStillBrokenBacklink = async (backlink) => {
-    try {
-      const response = await fetchWithTimeout(backlink.url_to, TIMEOUT);
-      if (!response.ok && response.status !== 404
-        && response.status >= 400 && response.status < 500) {
-        log.warn(`Backlink ${backlink.url_to} returned status ${response.status}`);
-      }
-      return !response.ok;
-    } catch (error) {
-      log.error(`Failed to check backlink ${backlink.url_to}: ${error.message}`);
-      return true;
-    }
-  };
-
-  const backlinkStatuses = await Promise.all(backlinks.map(isStillBrokenBacklink));
+  const backlinkStatuses = await Promise.all(backlinks.map(async (backlink) => isStillBrokenURL(backlink.url_to, 'backlink', log)));
   return backlinks.filter((_, index) => backlinkStatuses[index]);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/support/utils.js b/src/support/utils.js
index d99b9703..122e6b8c 100644
--- a/src/support/utils.js
+++ b/src/support/utils.js
@@ -10,7 +10,9 @@
  * governing permissions and limitations under the License.
  */
 
-import { context as h2, h1 } from '@adobe/fetch';
+import {
+  AbortController, AbortError, context as h2, h1,
+} from '@adobe/fetch';
 import { hasText, resolveCustomerSecretsName } from '@adobe/spacecat-shared-utils';
 import URI from 'urijs';
 import { JSDOM } from 'jsdom';
@@ -32,6 +34,51 @@ export async function getRUMUrl(url) {
   return finalUrl.endsWith('/') ? finalUrl.slice(0, -1) : /* c8 ignore next */ finalUrl;
 }
 
+const TIMEOUT = 3000;
+
+/**
+ * Fetches a URL with a specified timeout.
+ *
+ * @async
+ * @param {string} url - The URL to fetch.
+ * @param {number} timeout - The timeout duration in milliseconds.
+ * @param {Object} log - The logging object to record information and errors.
+ * @returns {Promise<{ok: boolean, status: number}>} - A promise that resolves the response object
+ */
+export const fetchWithTimeout = async (url, timeout, log) => {
+  const controller = new AbortController();
+  const { signal } = controller;
+  const id = setTimeout(() => controller.abort(), timeout);
+
+  try {
+    const response = await fetch(url, { signal });
+    clearTimeout(id);
+    return response;
+  } catch (error) {
+    if (error instanceof AbortError) {
+      log.warn(`Request to ${url} timed out after ${timeout}ms`);
+      return { ok: false, status: 408 };
+    }
+  } finally {
+    clearTimeout(id);
+  }
+  return null;
+};
+
+export const isStillBrokenURL = async (url, label, log) => {
+  try {
+    const response = await fetchWithTimeout(url, TIMEOUT, log);
+    if (!response.ok && response.status !== 404
+        && response.status >= 400 && response.status < 500) {
+      log.warn(`${label} ${url} returned status ${response.status}`);
+    }
+    return !response.ok;
+  } catch (error) {
+    log.error(`Failed to check ${label} ${url}: ${error.message}`);
+    return true;
+  }
+};
+
 /**
  * Checks if a given URL contains a domain with a non-www subdomain.
  *
diff --git a/test/audits/backlinks.test.js b/test/audits/backlinks.test.js
index 2c09f8d1..fc441ac9 100644
--- a/test/audits/backlinks.test.js
+++ b/test/audits/backlinks.test.js
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ chai.use(sinonChai);
 chai.use(chaiAsPromised);
 const { expect } = chai;
 
+// eslint-disable-next-line func-names
 describe('Backlinks Tests', function () {
   this.timeout(10000);
   let message;
@@ -517,7 +518,7 @@ describe('Backlinks Tests', function () {
     expect(context.sqs.sendMessage).to.have.been.calledOnce;
     expect(context.sqs.sendMessage).to.have.been
       .calledWith(context.env.AUDIT_RESULTS_QUEUE_URL, expectedMessage);
-    expect(context.log.warn).to.have.been.calledWith('Backlink https://foo.com/returns-429 returned status 429');
+    expect(context.log.warn).to.have.been.calledWith('backlink https://foo.com/returns-429 returned status 429');
     expect(context.log.info).to.have.been.calledWith('Successfully audited site2 for broken-backlinks type audit');
   });