diff --git a/tests/unit/helpers/beautify.spec.ts b/tests/unit/helpers/beautify.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f19920f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/helpers/beautify.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest'
+
+import { beautify } from '../../../src/helpers/beautify'
+
+describe.concurrent('helpers/elasticsearchAdapter.ts', () => {
+  describe.concurrent('beautify.ts beautify', () => {
+    it('should return empty string when supplied with empty string', () => {
+      expect(beautify('')).toBe('')
+    })
+
+    it('should return undefined when supplied with undefined', () => {
+      expect(beautify(undefined as unknown as string)).toBe(undefined)
+    })
+
+    it('should return null when supplied with null', () => {
+      expect(beautify(null as unknown as string)).toBe(null)
+    })
+
+    it('should return false when supplied with false', () => {
+      expect(beautify(false as unknown as string)).toBe(false)
+    })
+
+    it('should return 0 when supplied with 0', () => {
+      expect(beautify(0 as unknown as string)).toBe(0)
+    })
+
+    it('should return empty string when supplied with empty string', () => {
+      const text = '{"a":123456789012345678901234567890}'
+
+      const normalJSONStrinigified = JSON.stringify(JSON.parse(text))
+
+      expect(normalJSONStrinigified).toBe('{"a":1.2345678901234568e+29}')
+
+      expect(beautify(text)).toBe('{\n  "a": 1.2345678901234567890123456789e+29\n}')
+    })
+
+    it('should return the input string if not parseable as JSON', () => {
+      const text = 'this { is not } json'
+
+      expect(beautify(text)).toBe(text)
+    })
+  })
+})
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/unit/helpers/elasticsearchAdapter.spec.ts b/tests/unit/helpers/elasticsearchAdapter.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2eaa712c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/helpers/elasticsearchAdapter.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest'
+
+import { buildFetchAuthHeader, addTrailingSlash, uriWithCredentials } from '../../../src/helpers/elasticsearchAdapter'
+
+describe.concurrent('helpers/elasticsearchAdapter.ts', () => {
+  describe.concurrent('elasticsearchAdapter.ts buildFetchAuthHeader', () => {
+    it('should base64-encode username and password when both are non-zero length', () => {
+      const result = buildFetchAuthHeader('username', 'password')
+
+      const [schema, encoded] = result.split(' ')
+
+      expect(schema).toBe('Basic')
+      expect(decodeURIComponent(escape(atob(encoded))).split(':')).toEqual(['username', 'password'])
+    })
+
+    it('should base64-encode only username when non-zero length and password is zero-length', () => {
+      const result = buildFetchAuthHeader('username', '')
+
+      const [schema, encoded] = result.split(' ')
+
+      expect(schema).toBe('Basic')
+      expect(decodeURIComponent(escape(atob(encoded)))).toEqual('username')
+    })
+
+    it('should return ApiKey schema and plaintext password when username is zero-length and password is non-zero length', () => {
+      const result = buildFetchAuthHeader('', 'password')
+
+      const [schema, apiKey] = result.split(' ')
+
+      expect(schema).toBe('ApiKey')
+      expect(apiKey).toBe('password')
+    })
+
+    it('should return empty string when both username and password are zero-length', () => {
+      const result = buildFetchAuthHeader('', '')
+
+      expect(result).toBe('')
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe.concurrent('elasticsearchAdapter.ts addTrailingSlash', () => {
+    it('should not append a / if uri already ends with a /', () => {
+      const uri = 'http://localhost:9200/'
+      const result = addTrailingSlash(uri)
+      expect(result).toBe(uri)
+    })
+
+    it('should append a / if uri does not end with a /', () => {
+      const uri = 'http://localhost:9200'
+      const result = addTrailingSlash(uri)
+      expect(result).toBe(uri + '/')
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe.concurrent('elasticsearchAdapter.ts uriWithCredentials', () => {
+    it('should stringify URI with username and password when username is non-zero length', () => {
+      const uri = 'http://localhost:9200/'
+      const result = uriWithCredentials(uri, 'username', 'password')
+      expect(result).toBe('http://username:password@localhost:9200/')
+    })
+
+    it('should not stringify URI with username and password when username is zero length', () => {
+      const uri = 'http://localhost:9200/'
+      const result = uriWithCredentials(uri, '', 'password')
+      expect(result).toBe(uri)
+    })
+
+    it('should replace embedded username and password when new username is non-zero length', () => {
+      const uri = 'http://original_username:original_password@localhost:9200/'
+      const result = uriWithCredentials(uri, 'username', 'password')
+      expect(result).toBe('http://username:password@localhost:9200/')
+    })
+
+    it('should replace username and retain password when new username is zero length', () => {
+      const uri = 'http://original_username:original_password@localhost:9200/'
+      const result = uriWithCredentials(uri, '', 'password')
+      expect(result).toBe('http://:original_password@localhost:9200/')
+    })
+  })
+})
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/unit/helpers/flatten.spec.ts b/tests/unit/helpers/flatten.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d96db89c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/helpers/flatten.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest'
+
+import { flattenObj } from '../../../src/helpers/flatten'
+
+describe.concurrent('helpers/flatten.ts', () => {
+  describe.concurrent('flatten.ts flattenObj', () => {
+    it('should flatten all root objects to dot notation', () => {
+      const obj = {
+        a: 1,
+        b: {
+            c: {
+                d: 2,
+            }
+        },
+        e: [3, 4, { f: { g: 5 } }],
+        h: { 
+            i: 6
+        }
+      }
+
+      expect(flattenObj(obj)).toStrictEqual({
+        a: 1,
+        'b.c.d': 2,
+        e: [3, 4, { f: { g: 5 } }],
+        'h.i': 6
+      })
+    })
+
+    it('should throw a RangeError when input object contains a circular reference', () => {
+        const obj = {
+          a: 1
+        }
+
+        obj['b'] = obj
+
+        expect(() => flattenObj(obj)).toThrowError(RangeError)
+      })
+  
+      it('should flatten null to an empty object', () => {
+      expect(flattenObj(null)).toStrictEqual({})
+    })
+
+    it('should flatten undefined to an empty object', () => {
+        expect(flattenObj(undefined)).toStrictEqual({})
+    })
+
+    it('should flatten number to an empty object', () => {
+        expect(flattenObj(17)).toStrictEqual({})
+    })
+
+    it('should flatten boolean to an empty object', () => {
+        expect(flattenObj(true)).toStrictEqual({})
+    })
+
+    it('should flatten array to an index+character object', () => {
+        expect(flattenObj(['a', 'b'])).toStrictEqual({
+            0: 'a',
+            1: 'b'
+        })
+    })
+
+    it('should flatten string to index+character object', () => {
+        expect(flattenObj('asdf')).toStrictEqual({
+            0: 'a',
+            1: 's',
+            2: 'd',
+            3: 'f'
+        })
+    })
+  })
+})
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/unit/helpers/newCluster.spec.ts b/tests/unit/helpers/newCluster.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..718c71d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/helpers/newCluster.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest'
+
+import { newElasticsearchCluster } from '../../../src/helpers/newCluster'
+import { DEFAULT_CLUSTER_NAME, DEFAULT_CLUSTER_URI } from '../../../src/consts.ts'
+
+describe.concurrent('helpers/newCluster.ts', () => {
+  describe.concurrent('newCluster.ts newElasticsearchCluster', () => {
+    it('should return empty string when supplied with empty string', () => {
+      expect(newElasticsearchCluster()).toEqual({
+        name: DEFAULT_CLUSTER_NAME,
+        distribution: '',
+        username: '',
+        password: '',
+        uri: DEFAULT_CLUSTER_URI,
+        clusterName: '',
+        version: '',
+        majorVersion: '',
+        uuid: '',
+        status: ''
+      })
+    })
+  })
+})
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/unit/helpers/nodes.spec.ts b/tests/unit/helpers/nodes.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..10ada415
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/helpers/nodes.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest'
+
+import { nodeRoleTitle } from '../../../src/helpers/nodes'
+
+const NEWLINE = '\r\n'
+
+describe.concurrent('helpers/nodes.ts', () => {
+  describe.concurrent('nodes.ts nodeRoleTitle', () => {
+    it('should return empty string when supplied with empty string', () => {
+      expect(nodeRoleTitle('')).toBe('')
+    })
+
+    it('should return all role titles when input string contains them all', () => {
+      // include all lowercase latin alphabet characters and hyphen character for future proofing
+      const nodes = new Set(nodeRoleTitle('abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz-').trimEnd().split(NEWLINE))
+
+      expect(nodes.size).toBe(13)
+
+      expect(nodes).toContain('c - cold node')
+      expect(nodes).toContain('d - data node')
+      expect(nodes).toContain('f - frozen node')
+      expect(nodes).toContain('h - hot node')
+      expect(nodes).toContain('i - ingest node')
+      expect(nodes).toContain('l - machine learning node')
+      expect(nodes).toContain('m - master-eligible node')
+      expect(nodes).toContain('r - remote cluster client node')
+      expect(nodes).toContain('s - content node')
+      expect(nodes).toContain('t - transform node')
+      expect(nodes).toContain('v - voting-only node')
+      expect(nodes).toContain('w - warm node')
+      expect(nodes).toContain('coordinating nodes')
+    })
+
+    it('should only include a single role title when input is a single role character', () => {
+        const supportedRoles = new Map([
+            ['c','c - cold node'],
+            ['d','d - data node'],
+            ['f','f - frozen node'],
+            ['h','h - hot node'],
+            ['i','i - ingest node'],
+            ['l','l - machine learning node'],
+            ['m','m - master-eligible node'],
+            ['r','r - remote cluster client node'],
+            ['s','s - content node'],
+            ['t','t - transform node'],
+            ['v','v - voting-only node'],
+            ['w','w - warm node'],
+            ['-','coordinating nodes']
+        ])
+
+        for (const [role, title] of supportedRoles) {
+          expect(nodeRoleTitle(role).trimEnd()).toBe(title)
+        }
+    })
+
+    it('should return an empty string for all unsupported latin-1 lowercase letters', () => {
+        const unsupportedRoleTypes = ['a', 'b', 'e', 'g', 'j', 'k', 'n', 'o', 'p', 'q', 'u', 'x', 'y', 'z']
+
+        for (const role of unsupportedRoleTypes) {
+          expect(nodeRoleTitle(role)).toBe('')
+        }
+    })
+  })
+})
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/unit/helpers/search.spec.ts b/tests/unit/helpers/search.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..73daa371
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/helpers/search.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest'
+
+import { sortableField } from '../../../src/helpers/search'
+import { DEFAULT_SORTABLE_COLUMNS } from '../../../src/consts'
+
+describe.concurrent('helpers/search.ts', () => {
+  describe.concurrent('search.ts sortableField', () => {
+    it('should return column name for all default sortable columns', () => {
+      for (const column of DEFAULT_SORTABLE_COLUMNS) {
+        expect(sortableField(column, null)).toBe(column)
+      }
+    })
+
+    it('should return null when fieldName is not a default sortable column name and property is falsy', () => {
+      for (const falsyProperty of [null, undefined, 0, '', false, NaN]) {
+        expect(sortableField('non-default sortable column', falsyProperty)).toBe(null)
+      }    
+    })
+
+    it('should return fieldName when property.type is a sortable type', () => {
+      for (const type of ['long', 'integer', 'double', 'float', 'date', 'boolean', 'keyword']) {
+        const property = {
+          type: 'keyword'
+        }
+    
+        expect(sortableField('random fieldName', property)).toBe('random fieldName')
+      }              
+    })
+
+    it('should return fieldName with \'.keyword\' appended when property.fields.keyword is truthy', () => {
+      const property = {
+        fields: {
+          keyword: 'some value'
+        }
+      }
+
+      expect(sortableField('random fieldName', property)).toBe('random fieldName.keyword')
+    })
+
+    it('should return fieldName with \'.keyword\' appended when property.fields.keyword is truthy', () => {
+      const property = {
+        fields: {
+          keyword: 'some value'
+        }
+      }
+
+      expect(sortableField('random fieldName', property)).toBe('random fieldName.keyword')
+    })
+
+    it('should return fieldName appended with subfield type when subfield type is sortable', () => {
+      for (const type of ['long', 'integer', 'double', 'float', 'date', 'boolean', 'keyword']) {
+        const property = {
+          fields: {
+            a: {
+              type
+            },
+            b: 2
+          }
+        }
+  
+        expect(sortableField('random fieldName', property)).toBe('random fieldName.a')
+      }
+    })
+
+    it('should return null when subfield type is non-sortable', () => {
+      const property = {
+        fields: {
+          a: {
+            type: 'non-sortable type'
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    
+      expect(sortableField('random fieldName', property)).toBe(null)
+    })      
+
+    it('should return property has fields but none of them have a type', () => {
+      const property = {
+        fields: {
+          a: {},
+          b: {}
+        }
+      }
+      
+      expect(sortableField('random fieldName', property)).toBe(null)
+    })      
+  })
+})
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/unit/helpers/tableColumns.spec.ts b/tests/unit/helpers/tableColumns.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8703bf2d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/helpers/tableColumns.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest'
+
+import { genColumns } from '../../../src/helpers/tableColumns'
+
+describe.concurrent('helpers/tableColumns.ts', () => {
+  describe.concurrent('tableColumns.ts genColumns', () => {
+    it('should return empty array when supplied with an empty array', () => {
+      expect(genColumns([])).toStrictEqual([])
+    })
+
+    it('should map all options in the input array', () => {
+      const options = [
+        {
+          label: 'label value 1',
+          field: 'field value 1',
+          align: 'align value 1'
+        },
+        {
+          label: 'label value 2',
+          field: 'field value 2',
+          align: 'align value 2'
+        }
+      ]
+
+      expect(genColumns(options)).toStrictEqual([
+        {
+          label: 'label value 1',
+          field: 'field value 1',
+          name: 'field value 1',
+          sortable: true,
+          align: 'align value 1'
+        },
+        {
+          label: 'label value 2',
+          field: 'field value 2',
+          name: 'field value 2',
+          sortable: true,
+          align: 'align value 2'
+        }
+      ])
+    })
+  
+    it('should set sortable to false when field is undefined or an empty string', () => {
+      const options = [
+        {
+          label: 'label value 1',
+          field: undefined,
+          align: 'align value 1'
+        },
+        {
+          label: 'label value 2',
+          field: '',
+          align: 'align value 2'
+        }
+      ]
+  
+      expect(genColumns(options)).toStrictEqual([
+        expect.objectContaining({
+          field: undefined,
+          name: undefined,
+          sortable: false
+        }),
+        expect.objectContaining({
+          field: '',
+          name: '',
+          sortable: false
+        })
+      ])
+    })    
+  
+    it('should set align to \'left\' when undefind or an empty string', () => {
+      const options = [
+        {
+          label: 'label value 1',
+          field: 'field value 1',
+          align: undefined
+        },
+        {
+          label: 'label value 2',
+          field: 'field value 2',
+          align: ''
+        }
+      ]
+    
+      expect(genColumns(options)).toStrictEqual([
+        expect.objectContaining({
+          align: 'left'
+        }),
+        expect.objectContaining({
+          align: 'left'
+        })
+      ])
+    })
+  })
+})
\ No newline at end of file