diff --git a/archivebox/cli/archivebox_add.py b/archivebox/cli/archivebox_add.py
index c692750b..8f491d42 100644
--- a/archivebox/cli/archivebox_add.py
+++ b/archivebox/cli/archivebox_add.py
@@ -68,20 +68,12 @@ def main(args: Optional[List[str]]=None, stdin: Optional[IO]=None, pwd: Optional
         import_path = command.import_path
 
     add(
-        import_str=import_path,
-        import_path=None,
+        url=import_path,
+        depth=command.depth,
         update_all=command.update_all,
         index_only=command.index_only,
         out_dir=pwd or OUTPUT_DIR,
     )
-    if command.depth == 1:
-        add(
-            import_str=None,
-            import_path=import_path,
-            update_all=command.update_all,
-            index_only=command.index_only,
-            out_dir=pwd or OUTPUT_DIR,
-        )
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
diff --git a/archivebox/core/views.py b/archivebox/core/views.py
index 0c5efff2..a721b992 100644
--- a/archivebox/core/views.py
+++ b/archivebox/core/views.py
@@ -66,12 +66,10 @@ class AddLinks(View):
         if form.is_valid():
             url = form.cleaned_data["url"]
             print(f'[+] Adding URL: {url}')
-            if form.cleaned_data["source"] == "url":
-                key = "import_str"
-            else:
-                key = "import_path"
+            depth = 0 if form.cleaned_data["source"] == "url" else 1
             input_kwargs = {
-                key: url,
+                "url": url,
+                "depth": depth,
                 "update_all": False,
                 "out_dir": OUTPUT_DIR,
             }
diff --git a/archivebox/main.py b/archivebox/main.py
index 3f05a385..a96c4250 100644
--- a/archivebox/main.py
+++ b/archivebox/main.py
@@ -496,8 +496,8 @@ def status(out_dir: str=OUTPUT_DIR) -> None:
 
 
 @enforce_types
-def add(import_str: Optional[str]=None,
-        import_path: Optional[str]=None,
+def add(url: str,
+        depth: int=0,
         update_all: bool=not ONLY_NEW,
         index_only: bool=False,
         out_dir: str=OUTPUT_DIR) -> List[Link]:
@@ -505,17 +505,9 @@ def add(import_str: Optional[str]=None,
 
     check_data_folder(out_dir=out_dir)
 
-    if (import_str and import_path) or (not import_str and not import_path):
-        stderr(
-            '[X] You should pass an import path or a page url as an argument\n',
-            color='red',
-        )
-        raise SystemExit(2)
-    elif import_str:
-        import_path = save_stdin_to_sources(import_str, out_dir=out_dir)
-    elif import_path:
-        import_path = save_file_to_sources(import_path, out_dir=out_dir)
-
+    base_path = save_stdin_to_sources(url, out_dir=out_dir)
+    if depth == 1:
+        depth_path = save_file_to_sources(url, out_dir=out_dir)
     check_dependencies()
 
     # Step 1: Load list of links from the existing index
@@ -523,8 +515,11 @@ def add(import_str: Optional[str]=None,
     all_links: List[Link] = []
     new_links: List[Link] = []
     all_links = load_main_index(out_dir=out_dir)
-    if import_path:
-        all_links, new_links = import_new_links(all_links, import_path, out_dir=out_dir)
+    all_links, new_links = import_new_links(all_links, base_path, out_dir=out_dir)
+    if depth == 1:
+        all_links, new_links_depth = import_new_links(all_links, depth_path, out_dir=out_dir)
+        new_links = new_links + new_links_depth
+
 
     # Step 2: Write updated index with deduped old and new links back to disk
     write_main_index(links=all_links, out_dir=out_dir)