diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1062517..36dcdd1 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ Types of changes
 ## [Unreleased]
 ### Added
 - persistent processing
+- Add create_actinia_pc_item function to utils
 
 
 ## [0.3.2] - 2023-12-21
diff --git a/src/actinia/utils.py b/src/actinia/utils.py
index 8a10a6c..6411512 100644
--- a/src/actinia/utils.py
+++ b/src/actinia/utils.py
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ def request_and_check(url, auth, status_code=200):
 
 
 def set_job_names(name, default_name="unknown_job"):
+    """Function to set the date/time to the job name"""
     now = datetime.now()
     if name is None:
         orig_name = default_name
@@ -60,3 +61,89 @@ def set_job_names(name, default_name="unknown_job"):
         orig_name = name
         name += f"_{now.strftime('%Y%d%m_%H%M%S')}"
     return orig_name, name
+
+
+def create_actinia_pc_item(
+    id,
+    module,
+    inputs=None,
+    outputs=None,
+    flags=None,
+    stdin=None,
+    stdout=None,
+    overwrite=False,
+    superquiet=False,
+    verbose=False,
+    interface_description=False,
+):
+    """
+    Creates a list item for an actinia process chain
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    id: str
+        unique id for this item
+    module: str
+        some valid GRASS or actinia module
+    inputs: list or dict
+        list of input parameters with values in the form
+        [{"param": key1, "value": value1}, {"param": key2, "value": value2},
+        ...]
+        shorter alternative as dict
+        {"key1": value1, "key2": value2, ...}
+    outputs: list or dict
+        list of output parameters with values in the form
+        [{"param": key1, "value": value1}, {"param": key2, "value": value2},
+        ...]
+        shorter alternative as dict
+        {"key1": value1, "key2": value2, ...}
+    flags: str
+        optional flags for the module
+    stdin: dict
+        options to read stdin
+    stdout: dict
+        options to write to stdout
+        must be of the form
+        {"id": value1, "format": value2, "delimiter": value3}
+    overwrite: bool
+        optional, set to True to allow overwriting existing data
+    superquiet: bool
+        optional, set to True to suppress all messages but errors
+    verbose: bool
+        optional, set to True to allow verbose messages
+    interface_description: bool
+        optional, set to True to create an interface_description
+    """
+    pc_item = {"id": str(id), "module": module}
+    if inputs:
+        if isinstance(inputs, list):
+            pc_item["inputs"] = inputs
+        elif isinstance(inputs, dict):
+            tmplist = []
+            for k, v in inputs.items():
+                tmplist.append({"param": k, "value": v})
+            pc_item["inputs"] = tmplist
+    if outputs:
+        if isinstance(outputs, list):
+            pc_item["outputs"] = outputs
+        elif isinstance(outputs, dict):
+            tmplist = []
+            for k, v in outputs.items():
+                tmplist.append({"param": k, "value": v})
+            pc_item["outputs"] = tmplist
+    if flags:
+        pc_item["flags"] = flags
+    if stdin:
+        pc_item["stdin"] = stdin
+    if stdout:
+        pc_item["stdout"] = stdout
+    if overwrite is True:
+        pc_item["overwrite"] = True
+    if superquiet is True:
+        pc_item["superquiet"] = True
+    if verbose is True:
+        pc_item["verbose"] = True
+    if interface_description is True:
+        pc_item["interface_description"] = True
+
+    return pc_item
diff --git a/tests/test_utils.py b/tests/test_utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6db354b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+#######
+# actinia-python-client is a python client for actinia - an open source REST
+# API for scalable, distributed, high performance processing of geographical
+# data that uses GRASS GIS for computational tasks.
+#
+# Copyright (c) 2023 mundialis GmbH & Co. KG
+#
+# This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+#
+#######
+
+__license__ = "GPLv3"
+__author__ = "Anika Weinmann, Markus Metz"
+__copyright__ = "Copyright 2023, mundialis GmbH & Co. KG"
+__maintainer__ = "Anika Weinmann"
+
+import pytest
+
+from actinia.utils import (
+    create_actinia_pc_item,
+    request_and_check,
+    set_job_names,
+)
+from .actinia_config import ACTINIA_BASEURL, ACTINIA_VERSION, ACTINIA_AUTH
+
+
+class TestActiniaUtils(object):
+    def test_request_and_check(self):
+        """Test request_and_check utils function."""
+        url = f"{ACTINIA_BASEURL}api/{ACTINIA_VERSION}/version"
+        resp = request_and_check(url, ACTINIA_AUTH, status_code=200)
+        assert "version" in resp
+
+    def test_request_and_check_wrong_url(self):
+        """Test request_and_check utils function with ."""
+        url = f"{ACTINIA_BASEURL}api/{ACTINIA_VERSION}/version_fail"
+        err_msg = "The requested URL was not found on the server."
+        with pytest.raises(Exception) as excinfo:
+            request_and_check(url, ACTINIA_AUTH, status_code=200)
+        assert err_msg in str(excinfo.value)
+
+    def test_request_and_check_wrong_auth(self):
+        """Test request_and_check utils function with wrong auth."""
+        url = f"{ACTINIA_BASEURL}api/{ACTINIA_VERSION}/locations"
+        err_msg = "Unauthorized Access"
+        wrong_auth = ("actinia-gdi", "wrong_pw")
+        with pytest.raises(Exception) as excinfo:
+            request_and_check(url, wrong_auth, status_code=200)
+        assert err_msg in str(excinfo.value)
+
+    def test_set_job_names(self):
+        """Test set_job_names utils function."""
+        def_name = "def_job_name"
+        name_to_set = "test"
+        orig_name, name = set_job_names(name_to_set, default_name=def_name)
+        assert name_to_set == orig_name
+        assert name_to_set in name
+
+    def test_set_job_names_using_own_default(self):
+        """Test set_job_names utils function with using own default name."""
+        def_name = "def_job_name"
+        name_to_set = None
+        orig_name, name = set_job_names(name_to_set, default_name=def_name)
+        assert def_name == orig_name
+        assert "job" in name
+
+    def test_set_job_names_using_default(self):
+        """Test set_job_names utils function with using default name."""
+        name_to_set = None
+        orig_name, name = set_job_names(name_to_set)
+        assert "unknown_job" == orig_name
+        assert "job" in name
+
+    def test_create_actinia_pc_item(self):
+        """Test set_job_names utils function with using default name."""
+        module = "g.region"
+        id = "pc_item_ide"
+        inputs = {
+            "raster": "elevation@PERMANENT",
+            "res": "5000",
+        }
+        pc_item = create_actinia_pc_item(
+            id=id,
+            module="g.region",
+            inputs=inputs,
+            flags="g",
+        )
+        assert "module" in pc_item
+        assert "id" in pc_item
+        assert "inputs" in pc_item
+        assert pc_item["module"] == module
+        assert pc_item["id"] == id
+        assert isinstance(pc_item["inputs"], list)
+        for inp in pc_item["inputs"]:
+            param = inp["param"]
+            value = inp["value"]
+            assert param in inputs
+            assert inputs[param] == value