diff --git a/src/extensions/action_items.py b/src/extensions/action_items.py
index a972ca5..8a4b535 100644
--- a/src/extensions/action_items.py
+++ b/src/extensions/action_items.py
@@ -2,9 +2,8 @@
 import hikari
 import re
 import aiohttp
-from urllib.parse import urlparse
 
-from src.utils import role_mention, hedgedoc_login
+from src.utils import role_mention, get_md_content
 from src.hooks import restrict_to_channels, restrict_to_roles
 from src.config import CHANNEL_IDS, ROLE_IDS, UID_MAPS
 
@@ -28,30 +27,15 @@ async def get_action_items(
 ) -> None:
     """Display the action items from the MD!"""
 
-    if "https://md.redbrick.dcu.ie" not in url:
+    try:
+        content = await get_md_content(url, aiohttp_client)
+    except Exception as e:
         await ctx.respond(
-            f"❌ `{url}` is not a valid MD URL. Please provide a valid URL.",
+            f"❌ {e}",
             flags=hikari.MessageFlag.EPHEMERAL,
         )
         return
 
-    await hedgedoc_login(aiohttp_client)
-
-    parsed_url = urlparse(url)
-    request_url = (
-        f"{parsed_url.scheme}://{parsed_url.hostname}{parsed_url.path}/download"
-    )
-
-    async with aiohttp_client.get(request_url) as response:
-        if response.status != 200:
-            await ctx.respond(
-                f"❌ Failed to fetch the minutes. Status code: `{response.status}`",
-                flags=hikari.MessageFlag.EPHEMERAL,
-            )
-            return
-
-        content = await response.text()
-
     # extract the action items section from the minutes
     action_items_section = re.search(
         r"# Action Items:?\n(.*?)(\n# |\n---|$)", content, re.DOTALL
diff --git a/src/extensions/agenda.py b/src/extensions/agenda.py
index 3b6f066..8dc809a 100644
--- a/src/extensions/agenda.py
+++ b/src/extensions/agenda.py
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
 import arc
 import hikari
 import aiohttp
-from urllib.parse import urlparse
 import datetime
 
-from src.utils import role_mention, hedgedoc_login
+from src.utils import role_mention, get_md_content, post_new_md_content
 from src.hooks import restrict_to_channels, restrict_to_roles
 from src.config import CHANNEL_IDS, ROLE_IDS, UID_MAPS, AGENDA_TEMPLATE_URL
 
@@ -90,50 +89,28 @@ async def gen_agenda(
     formatted_time = parsed_datetime.strftime("%H:%M")
     formatted_datetime = parsed_datetime.strftime("%A, %Y-%m-%d %H:%M")
 
-    if "https://md.redbrick.dcu.ie" not in url:
+    try:
+        content = await get_md_content(url, aiohttp_client)
+    except Exception as e:
         await ctx.respond(
-            f"❌ `{url}` is not a valid MD URL. Please provide a valid URL.",
+            f"❌ {e}",
             flags=hikari.MessageFlag.EPHEMERAL,
         )
         return
 
-    await hedgedoc_login(aiohttp_client)
-
-    parsed_url = urlparse(url)
-    request_url = (
-        f"{parsed_url.scheme}://{parsed_url.hostname}{parsed_url.path}/download"
-    )
-
-    async with aiohttp_client.get(request_url) as response:
-        if response.status != 200:
-            await ctx.respond(
-                f"❌ Failed to fetch the agenda template. Status code: `{response.status}`",
-                flags=hikari.MessageFlag.EPHEMERAL,
-            )
-            return
-
-        content = await response.text()
-
     modified_content = content.format(
         DATE=formatted_date, TIME=formatted_time, ROOM=room
     )
 
-    post_url = f"{parsed_url.scheme}://{parsed_url.hostname}/new"
-    post_headers = {"Content-Type": "text/markdown"}
-
-    async with aiohttp_client.post(
-        url=post_url,
-        headers=post_headers,
-        data=modified_content,
-    ) as response:
-        if response.status != 200:
-            await ctx.respond(
-                f"❌ Failed to generate the agenda. Status code: `{response.status}`",
-                flags=hikari.MessageFlag.EPHEMERAL,
-            )
-            return
-
-    new_agenda_url = response.url
+    try:
+        new_agenda_url = await post_new_md_content(modified_content, aiohttp_client)
+    except Exception as e:
+        await ctx.respond(
+            f"❌ {e}",
+            flags=hikari.MessageFlag.EPHEMERAL,
+        )
+        return
+
     announce_text = f"""
 ## 📣 Agenda for this week's meeting | {formatted_datetime} | {room} <:bigRed:634311607039819776>
 
diff --git a/src/utils.py b/src/utils.py
index b014819..3dcc090 100644
--- a/src/utils.py
+++ b/src/utils.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 from arc import GatewayClient
 import aiohttp
 from src.config import LDAP_USERNAME, LDAP_PASSWORD
+from urllib.parse import urlparse
 
 
 async def get_guild(
@@ -21,3 +22,44 @@ async def hedgedoc_login(aiohttp_client: aiohttp.ClientSession) -> None:
     }
 
     await aiohttp_client.post("https://md.redbrick.dcu.ie/auth/ldap", data=data)
+
+
+async def get_md_content(
+    url: str, aiohttp_client: aiohttp.ClientSession
+) -> str | tuple[str, urlparse]:
+    """
+    Get the content of a note at a HedgeDoc URL.
+    """
+    if "https://md.redbrick.dcu.ie" not in url:
+        raise ValueError(f"`{url}` is not a valid MD URL. Please provide a valid URL.")
+    await hedgedoc_login(aiohttp_client)
+    parsed_url = urlparse(url)
+    request_url = (
+        f"{parsed_url.scheme}://{parsed_url.hostname}{parsed_url.path}/download"
+    )
+    async with aiohttp_client.get(request_url) as response:
+        if response.status != 200:
+            raise Exception(
+                f"Failed to fetch the minutes. Status code: `{response.status}`"
+            )
+        return await response.text()
+
+
+async def post_new_md_content(
+    content: str, aiohttp_client: aiohttp.ClientSession
+) -> str:
+    post_url = "https://md.redbrick.dcu.ie/new"
+    post_headers = {"Content-Type": "text/markdown"}
+
+    async with aiohttp_client.post(
+        url=post_url,
+        headers=post_headers,
+        data=content,
+    ) as response:
+        if response.status != 200:
+            raise Exception(
+                f"Failed to generate the agenda. Status code: `{response.status}`"
+            )
+            return
+
+    return await response.url