diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/fetch/helpers.test.ts b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/fetch/helpers.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e475764a0b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/fetch/helpers.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2021 Spotify AB
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+jest.mock('fs-extra');
+import fs from 'fs-extra';
+
+import { UrlReader } from '@backstage/backend-common';
+import { ConfigReader } from '@backstage/config';
+import { ScmIntegrations } from '@backstage/integration';
+import { fetchContents } from './helpers';
+import os from 'os';
+
+describe('fetchContent helper', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    jest.clearAllMocks();
+  });
+
+  const integrations = ScmIntegrations.fromConfig(
+    new ConfigReader({
+      integrations: {
+        github: [{ host: 'github.com', token: 'token' }],
+      },
+    }),
+  );
+
+  const readTree = jest.fn();
+  const reader: UrlReader = {
+    read: jest.fn(),
+    readTree,
+    search: jest.fn(),
+  };
+
+  const options = {
+    reader,
+    integrations,
+    outputPath: os.tmpdir(),
+  };
+
+  it('should reject non string fetchUrls', async () => {
+    await expect(
+      fetchContents({
+        ...options,
+        fetchUrl: false,
+      }),
+    ).rejects.toThrow('Invalid url parameter, expected string, got boolean');
+  });
+
+  it('should reject absolute file locations', async () => {
+    await expect(
+      fetchContents({
+        ...options,
+        baseUrl: 'file:///some/path',
+        fetchUrl: '/etc/passwd',
+      }),
+    ).rejects.toThrow(
+      'Fetch URL may not be absolute for file locations, /etc/passwd',
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('should copy file to outputpath', async () => {
+    await fetchContents({
+      ...options,
+      baseUrl: 'file:///some/path',
+      fetchUrl: 'foo',
+      outputPath: 'somepath',
+    });
+    expect(fs.copy).toBeCalledWith('/some/foo', 'somepath');
+  });
+
+  it('should reject if no integration matches location', async () => {
+    await expect(
+      fetchContents({
+        ...options,
+        baseUrl: 'http://example.com/some/folder',
+      }),
+    ).rejects.toThrow(
+      'No integration found for location http://example.com/some/folder',
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('should reject if fetch url is relative and no base url is specified', async () => {
+    await expect(
+      fetchContents({
+        ...options,
+        fetchUrl: 'foo',
+      }),
+    ).rejects.toThrow(
+      'Failed to fetch, template location could not be determined and the fetch URL is relative, foo',
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('should fetch url contents', async () => {
+    const dirFunction = jest.fn();
+    readTree.mockResolvedValue({
+      dir: dirFunction,
+    });
+    await fetchContents({
+      ...options,
+      outputPath: 'foo',
+      fetchUrl: 'https://github.com/backstage/foo',
+    });
+    expect(fs.ensureDir).toBeCalled();
+    expect(dirFunction).toBeCalledWith({ targetDir: 'foo' });
+  });
+});