diff --git a/detekt-baseline.xml b/detekt-baseline.xml
index 39dc622..2349c7c 100644
--- a/detekt-baseline.xml
+++ b/detekt-baseline.xml
@@ -2,12 +2,8 @@
 <SmellBaseline>
   <Blacklist></Blacklist>
   <Whitelist>
-    <ID>ComplexMethod:Utils.kt$Utils.Companion$call</ID>
     <ID>FunctionParameterNaming:Bitlinks.kt$Bitlinks$bitlink_id: String</ID>
-    <ID>FunctionParameterNaming:Bitlinks.kt$Bitlinks$group_guid: String = ""</ID>
+    <ID>FunctionParameterNaming:Bitlinks.kt$Bitlinks$group_guid: String = Constants.EMPTY</ID>
     <ID>FunctionParameterNaming:Bitlinks.kt$Bitlinks$long_url: String</ID>
-    <ID>NestedBlockDepth:Utils.kt$Utils.Companion$call</ID>
-    <ID>NestedBlockDepth:Utils.kt$Utils.Companion$logApiError</ID>
-    <ID>ReturnCount:Bitlinks.kt$Bitlinks$private fun parseJsonResponse(response: String, key: String, default: String, isJson: Boolean): String</ID>
   </Whitelist>
 </SmellBaseline>
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/net/thauvin/erik/bitly/Bitlinks.kt b/src/main/kotlin/net/thauvin/erik/bitly/Bitlinks.kt
index cad0407..2488979 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/net/thauvin/erik/bitly/Bitlinks.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/net/thauvin/erik/bitly/Bitlinks.kt
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ class Bitlinks(private val accessToken: String) {
      */
     @JvmOverloads
     fun expand(bitlink_id: String, isJson: Boolean = false): String {
-        var longUrl = if (isJson) "{}" else ""
+        var longUrl = if (isJson) "{}" else Constants.EMPTY
         if (bitlink_id.isNotBlank()) {
             val response = Utils.call(
                 accessToken,
@@ -86,8 +86,13 @@ class Bitlinks(private val accessToken: String) {
      * @return THe short URL or JSON API response.
      */
     @JvmOverloads
-    fun shorten(long_url: String, group_guid: String = "", domain: String = "", isJson: Boolean = false): String {
-        var bitlink = if (isJson) "{}" else ""
+    fun shorten(
+        long_url: String,
+        group_guid: String = Constants.EMPTY,
+        domain: String = Constants.EMPTY,
+        isJson: Boolean = false
+    ): String {
+        var bitlink = if (isJson) "{}" else Constants.EMPTY
         if (!Utils.validateUrl(long_url)) {
             Utils.logger.severe("Please specify a valid URL to shorten.")
         } else {
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/net/thauvin/erik/bitly/Bitly.kt b/src/main/kotlin/net/thauvin/erik/bitly/Bitly.kt
index d459bb2..b97961a 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/net/thauvin/erik/bitly/Bitly.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/net/thauvin/erik/bitly/Bitly.kt
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ enum class Methods {
  */
 open class Bitly() {
     /** The API access token. **/
-    var accessToken: String = System.getenv(Constants.ENV_ACCESS_TOKEN) ?: ""
+    var accessToken: String = System.getenv(Constants.ENV_ACCESS_TOKEN) ?: Constants.EMPTY
 
     /**
      * Creates a new instance using an [API Access Token][accessToken].
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/net/thauvin/erik/bitly/Constants.kt b/src/main/kotlin/net/thauvin/erik/bitly/Constants.kt
index 78b3f81..0ee97ae 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/net/thauvin/erik/bitly/Constants.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/net/thauvin/erik/bitly/Constants.kt
@@ -40,5 +40,8 @@ class Constants private constructor() {
 
         /** The API access token environment variable. **/
         const val ENV_ACCESS_TOKEN = "BITLY_ACCESS_TOKEN"
+
+        /** Empty String **/
+        const val EMPTY = ""
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/net/thauvin/erik/bitly/Utils.kt b/src/main/kotlin/net/thauvin/erik/bitly/Utils.kt
index 914df17..f824896 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/net/thauvin/erik/bitly/Utils.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/net/thauvin/erik/bitly/Utils.kt
@@ -89,12 +89,8 @@ class Utils private constructor() {
             params: Map<String, String>,
             method: Methods = Methods.POST
         ): String {
-            var response = ""
-            if (endPoint.isBlank()) {
-                logger.severe("Please specify a valid API endpoint.")
-            } else if (accessToken.isBlank()) {
-                logger.severe("Please specify a valid API access token.")
-            } else {
+            var response = Constants.EMPTY
+            if (validateCall(accessToken, endPoint)) {
                 val apiUrl = endPoint.toHttpUrlOrNull()
                 if (apiUrl != null) {
                     val builder = when (method) {
diff --git a/src/test/kotlin/net/thauvin/erik/bitly/BitlyTest.kt b/src/test/kotlin/net/thauvin/erik/bitly/BitlyTest.kt
index 4ce2f02..1e9dd7b 100644
--- a/src/test/kotlin/net/thauvin/erik/bitly/BitlyTest.kt
+++ b/src/test/kotlin/net/thauvin/erik/bitly/BitlyTest.kt
@@ -60,9 +60,9 @@ class BitlyTest {
     fun `token should be specified`() {
         val test = Bitly()
         if (System.getenv("CI") == "true") {
-            test.accessToken = ""
+            test.accessToken = Constants.EMPTY
         }
-        assertEquals("", test.bitlinks().shorten(blog))
+        assertEquals(Constants.EMPTY, test.bitlinks().shorten(blog))
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ class BitlyTest {
 
     @Test
     fun `long url should be valid`() {
-        assertEquals("", bitly.bitlinks().shorten(""))
+        assertEquals(Constants.EMPTY, bitly.bitlinks().shorten(Constants.EMPTY))
     }
 
     @Test