diff --git a/bookwyrm/tests/connectors/test_abstract_connector.py b/bookwyrm/tests/connectors/test_abstract_connector.py
index bec9b11d5..cab2f834c 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/tests/connectors/test_abstract_connector.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/tests/connectors/test_abstract_connector.py
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 ''' testing book data connectors '''
 from django.test import TestCase
+import responses
 
 from bookwyrm import models
+from bookwyrm.connectors import abstract_connector
 from bookwyrm.connectors.abstract_connector import Mapping, SearchResult
 from bookwyrm.connectors.openlibrary import Connector
 
@@ -12,12 +14,12 @@ class AbstractConnector(TestCase):
         ''' we need an example connector '''
         self.book = models.Edition.objects.create(title='Example Edition')
 
-        models.Connector.objects.create(
+        self.connector_info = models.Connector.objects.create(
             identifier='example.com',
             connector_file='openlibrary',
             base_url='https://example.com',
-            books_url='https:/example.com',
-            covers_url='https://example.com',
+            books_url='https://example.com/books',
+            covers_url='https://example.com/covers',
             search_url='https://example.com/search?q=',
         )
         self.connector = Connector('example.com')
@@ -39,6 +41,67 @@ class AbstractConnector(TestCase):
         ]
 
 
+    def test_abstract_minimal_connector_init(self):
+        ''' barebones connector for search with defaults '''
+        class TestConnector(abstract_connector.AbstractMinimalConnector):
+            ''' nothing added here '''
+            def format_search_result():
+                pass
+            def get_or_create_book():
+                pass
+            def parse_search_data():
+                pass
+
+        connector = TestConnector('example.com')
+        self.assertEqual(connector.connector, self.connector_info)
+        self.assertEqual(connector.base_url, 'https://example.com')
+        self.assertEqual(connector.books_url, 'https://example.com/books')
+        self.assertEqual(connector.covers_url, 'https://example.com/covers')
+        self.assertEqual(connector.search_url, 'https://example.com/search?q=')
+        self.assertIsNone(connector.name),
+        self.assertEqual(connector.identifier, 'example.com'),
+        self.assertIsNone(connector.max_query_count)
+        self.assertFalse(connector.local)
+
+
+    @responses.activate
+    def test_abstract_minimal_connector_search(self):
+        ''' makes an http request to the outside service '''
+        class TestConnector(abstract_connector.AbstractMinimalConnector):
+            ''' nothing added here '''
+            def format_search_result(self, data):
+                return data
+            def get_or_create_book(self, data):
+                pass
+            def parse_search_data(self, data):
+                return data
+        connector = TestConnector('example.com')
+        responses.add(
+            responses.GET,
+            'https://example.com/search?q=a%20book%20title',
+            json=['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g', 'h', 'i', 'j', 'k', 'l'],
+            status=200)
+        results = connector.search('a book title')
+        self.assertEqual(len(results), 10)
+        self.assertEqual(results[0], 'a')
+        self.assertEqual(results[1], 'b')
+        self.assertEqual(results[2], 'c')
+
+
+    def test_search_result(self):
+        ''' a class that stores info about a search result '''
+        result = SearchResult(
+            title='Title',
+            key='https://example.com/book/1',
+            author='Author Name',
+            year='1850',
+            connector=self.connector,
+        )
+        # there's really not much to test here, it's just a dataclass
+        self.assertEqual(result.confidence, 1)
+        self.assertEqual(result.title, 'Title')
+
+
     def test_create_mapping(self):
         ''' maps remote fields for book data to bookwyrm activitypub fields '''
         mapping = Mapping('isbn')
@@ -63,17 +126,3 @@ class AbstractConnector(TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(mapping.remote_field, 'isbn')
         self.assertEqual(mapping.formatter, formatter)
         self.assertEqual(mapping.formatter('bb'), 'aabb')
-
-
-    def test_search_result(self):
-        ''' a class that stores info about a search result '''
-        result = SearchResult(
-            title='Title',
-            key='https://example.com/book/1',
-            author='Author Name',
-            year='1850',
-            connector=self.connector,
-        )
-        # there's really not much to test here, it's just a dataclass
-        self.assertEqual(result.confidence, 1)
-        self.assertEqual(result.title, 'Title')