diff --git a/src/db/crud.py b/src/db/crud.py
index 744c711..47e6c09 100644
--- a/src/db/crud.py
+++ b/src/db/crud.py
@@ -3,9 +3,10 @@ from sqlalchemy.orm import Session, load_only
 from sqlalchemy import Column, or_
 from loguru import logger
 from . import models, schemas
-import yaml
+import yaml, os
 
 DOMAIN_GROUPS = {}
+DOMAIN_GROUPS_LOADED = False
 
 # --------------- TASK = Archive
 
@@ -69,11 +70,12 @@ def search_tags(db: Session, tag: str, skip: int = 0, limit: int = 100):
     return db.query(models.Tag).filter(models.Tag.url.like(f'%{tag}%')).offset(skip).limit(limit).all()
 
 
-def get_group_for_user(db: Session, group_name: str, email: str) -> models.Group:
-    return db.query(models.association_table_user_groups).filter_by(user_id=email, group_id=group_name).first()
-
+def is_user_in_group(db: Session, group_name: str, email: str) -> models.Group:
+    return len(group_name) and len(email) and group_name in get_user_groups(db, email)
 
 def get_user_groups(db: Session, email: str):
+    global DOMAIN_GROUPS, DOMAIN_GROUPS_LOADED
+    if not DOMAIN_GROUPS_LOADED: upsert_user_groups(db)
     # given an email retrieves the user groups from the DB and then the email-domain groups from a global variable
     groups = db.query(models.association_table_user_groups).filter_by(user_id=email).with_entities(Column("group_id")).all()
     user_level_groups = [g[0] for g in groups]
@@ -104,13 +106,14 @@ def get_group(db: Session, group_name: str) -> models.Group:
     return db_group
 
 
-def upsert_user_groups(db: Session, filename: str):
-    global DOMAIN_GROUPS
+def upsert_user_groups(db: Session):
+    global DOMAIN_GROUPS, DOMAIN_GROUPS_LOADED
     """
     reads the user_groups yaml file and inserts any new users, groups, 
     along with new participation of users in groups
     """
     logger.debug("Updating user-groups configuration.")
+    filename = os.environ.get("USER_GROUPS_FILENAME", "user-groups.yaml")
 
     # read yaml safely
     with open(filename) as inf:
@@ -142,3 +145,4 @@ def upsert_user_groups(db: Session, filename: str):
     db.commit()
     count_user_groups = db.query(models.association_table_user_groups).count()
     logger.success(f"Completed refresh, now: {count_user_groups} user-groups relationships.")
+    DOMAIN_GROUPS_LOADED = True
diff --git a/src/main.py b/src/main.py
index 9f68bd3..23ea984 100644
--- a/src/main.py
+++ b/src/main.py
@@ -77,7 +77,8 @@ def get_user_groups(db: Session = Depends(get_db), email = Depends(get_bearer_au
 
 @app.get("/tasks/search-url", response_model=list[schemas.Archive])
 def search_by_url(url:str, skip: int = 0, limit: int = 100, db: Session = Depends(get_db), email = Depends(get_bearer_auth)):
-    return crud.search_tasks_by_url(db, url, email, skip=skip, limit=limit)
+    #TODO: test strip
+    return crud.search_tasks_by_url(db, url.strip(), email, skip=skip, limit=limit)
     
 @app.get("/tasks/sync", response_model=list[schemas.Archive])
 def search(skip: int = 0, limit: int = 100, db: Session = Depends(get_db), email = Depends(get_bearer_auth)):
@@ -184,5 +185,4 @@ async def on_startup():
 @repeat_every(seconds=60 * 60)  # 1 hour
 async def on_startup():
     db: Session = next(get_db())
-    USER_GROUPS_FILENAME=os.environ.get("USER_GROUPS_FILENAME", "user-groups.yaml")
-    crud.upsert_user_groups(db, USER_GROUPS_FILENAME)
\ No newline at end of file
+    crud.upsert_user_groups(db)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/worker.py b/src/worker.py
index 790eb2a..53c359b 100644
--- a/src/worker.py
+++ b/src/worker.py
@@ -137,8 +137,7 @@ def is_group_invalid_for_user(public: bool, group_id: str, author_id: str):
     if not public and group_id and len(group_id) > 0:
         # ensure group is valid for user
         with get_db() as session:
-            db_group = crud.get_group_for_user(session, group_id, author_id)
-            if not db_group:
+            if not crud.is_user_in_group(session, group_id, author_id):
                 logger.error(em := f"User {author_id} is not part of {group_id}, no permission")
                 return em
     return False