diff --git a/tracker/component_helpers.py b/tracker/component_helpers.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..786ab96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tracker/component_helpers.py
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+# Copyright 2016 The Chromium Authors. All rights reserved.
+# Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+# license that can be found in the LICENSE file or at
+# https://developers.google.com/open-source/licenses/bsd
+
+"""Helper functions for component-related servlets."""
+from __future__ import print_function
+from __future__ import division
+from __future__ import absolute_import
+
+import collections
+import logging
+import re
+
+from proto import tracker_pb2
+from tracker import tracker_bizobj
+
+
+ParsedComponentDef = collections.namedtuple(
+    'ParsedComponentDef',
+    'leaf_name, docstring, deprecated, '
+    'admin_usernames, cc_usernames, admin_ids, cc_ids, '
+    'label_strs, label_ids')
+
+
+def ParseComponentRequest(mr, post_data, services):
+  """Parse the user's request to create or update a component definition.
+
+  If an error is encountered then this function populates mr.errors
+  """
+  leaf_name = post_data.get('leaf_name', '')
+  docstring = post_data.get('docstring', '')
+  deprecated = 'deprecated' in post_data
+
+  admin_usernames = [
+      uname.strip() for uname in re.split('[,;\s]+', post_data['admins'])
+      if uname.strip()]
+  cc_usernames = [
+      uname.strip() for uname in re.split('[,;\s]+', post_data['cc'])
+      if uname.strip()]
+  all_user_ids = services.user.LookupUserIDs(
+      mr.cnxn, admin_usernames + cc_usernames, autocreate=True)
+
+  admin_ids = []
+  for admin_name in admin_usernames:
+    if admin_name not in all_user_ids:
+      mr.errors.member_admins = '%s unrecognized' % admin_name
+      continue
+    admin_id = all_user_ids[admin_name]
+    if admin_id not in admin_ids:
+     admin_ids.append(admin_id)
+
+  cc_ids = []
+  for cc_name in cc_usernames:
+    if cc_name not in all_user_ids:
+      mr.errors.member_cc = '%s unrecognized' % cc_name
+      continue
+    cc_id = all_user_ids[cc_name]
+    if cc_id not in cc_ids:
+      cc_ids.append(cc_id)
+
+  label_strs = [
+    lab.strip() for lab in re.split('[,;\s]+', post_data['labels'])
+    if lab.strip()]
+
+  label_ids = services.config.LookupLabelIDs(
+      mr.cnxn, mr.project_id, label_strs, autocreate=True)
+
+  return ParsedComponentDef(
+      leaf_name, docstring, deprecated,
+      admin_usernames, cc_usernames, admin_ids, cc_ids,
+      label_strs, label_ids)
+
+
+def GetComponentCcIDs(issue, config):
+  """Return auto-cc'd users for any component or ancestor the issue is in."""
+  result = set()
+  for component_id in issue.component_ids:
+    cd = tracker_bizobj.FindComponentDefByID(component_id, config)
+    if cd:
+      result.update(GetCcIDsForComponentAndAncestors(config, cd))
+
+  return result
+
+
+def GetCcIDsForComponentAndAncestors(config, cd):
+  """Return auto-cc'd user IDs for the given component and ancestors."""
+  result = set(cd.cc_ids)
+  ancestors = tracker_bizobj.FindAncestorComponents(config, cd)
+  for anc_cd in ancestors:
+    result.update(anc_cd.cc_ids)
+
+  return result