diff --git a/lib/client/client.dart b/lib/client/client.dart
index bf02604..7dad408 100644
--- a/lib/client/client.dart
+++ b/lib/client/client.dart
@@ -3,13 +3,13 @@ import 'v1/main.dart';
 export 'v1/main.dart';
 
 class LemmyAPI {
-  /// url of this lemmy instance
-  String instanceUrl;
+  /// host uri of this lemmy instance
+  String host;
 
   V1 v1;
 
   /// initialize lemmy api instance
-  LemmyAPI(this.instanceUrl)
-      : assert(instanceUrl != null),
-        v1 = V1(instanceUrl);
+  LemmyAPI(this.host)
+      : assert(host != null),
+        v1 = V1(host);
 }
diff --git a/lib/client/http_helper.dart b/lib/client/http_helper.dart
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f505414
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/client/http_helper.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+import 'dart:convert';
+import 'dart:io';
+
+import 'package:http/http.dart' as http;
+
+extension OkResponse on http.Response {
+  bool get ok => statusCode >= 200 && statusCode < 300;
+}
+
+abstract class HttpHelper {
+  String host;
+  String extraPath;
+
+  Future<Map<String, dynamic>> get(
+      String path, Map<String, String> query) async {
+    var res = await http.get(Uri.https(host, "$extraPath$path", query));
+
+    if (!res.ok) {
+      // failed request, handle here
+    }
+
+    return jsonDecode(res.body);
+  }
+
+  Future<Map<String, dynamic>> post(
+      String path, Map<String, dynamic> body) async {
+    var res = await http.post(
+      Uri.https(host, "$extraPath$path"),
+      body: jsonEncode(body),
+      headers: {HttpHeaders.contentTypeHeader: ContentType.json.mimeType},
+    );
+
+    if (!res.ok) {
+      // failed request, handle here
+    }
+
+    return jsonDecode(res.body);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/lib/client/v1/main.dart b/lib/client/v1/main.dart
index 4a04851..f4f29c8 100644
--- a/lib/client/v1/main.dart
+++ b/lib/client/v1/main.dart
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import 'package:flutter/foundation.dart' show required;
 
+import '../http_helper.dart';
 import '../models/category.dart';
 import '../models/search.dart';
 
@@ -7,10 +8,13 @@ export 'comment_endpoint.dart';
 export 'post_endpoint.dart';
 export 'user_endpoint.dart';
 
-class V1 {
-  String instanceUrl;
+class V1 extends HttpHelper {
+  @override
+  final String host;
+  @override
+  final String extraPath = "/api/v1";
 
-  V1(this.instanceUrl);
+  V1(this.host);
 
   /// GET /categories
   /// https://dev.lemmy.ml/docs/contributing_websocket_http_api.html#list-categories
diff --git a/lib/client/v1/post_endpoint.dart b/lib/client/v1/post_endpoint.dart
index 178eba3..0e181a4 100644
--- a/lib/client/v1/post_endpoint.dart
+++ b/lib/client/v1/post_endpoint.dart
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
-import 'dart:convert';
-
 import 'package:flutter/foundation.dart' show required;
-import 'package:http/http.dart' as http;
 
 import '../models/post.dart';
 import 'main.dart';
@@ -49,20 +46,17 @@ extension PostEndpoint on V1 {
     assert(type != null);
     assert(sort != null);
 
-    var res = await http.get(Uri.https(
-      instanceUrl,
-      "/api/v1/post/list",
-      {
-        'type_': type.value,
-        'sort': sort.value,
-        if (page != null) 'page': page.toString(),
-        if (limit != null) 'limit': limit.toString(),
-        if (communityId != null) 'community_id': communityId.toString(),
-        if (communityName != null) 'community_name': communityName,
-      },
-    ));
-    List<dynamic> json = jsonDecode(res.body)["posts"];
-    return json.map((e) => PostView.fromJson(e)).toList();
+    var json = await get("/post/list", {
+      'type_': type.value,
+      'sort': sort.value,
+      if (page != null) 'page': page.toString(),
+      if (limit != null) 'limit': limit.toString(),
+      if (communityId != null) 'community_id': communityId.toString(),
+      if (communityName != null) 'community_name': communityName,
+    });
+
+    List<dynamic> posts = json["posts"];
+    return posts.map((e) => PostView.fromJson(e)).toList();
   }
 
   /// POST /post/like