diff --git a/packages/ipfs-unixfs-importer/README.md b/packages/ipfs-unixfs-importer/README.md
index 00abe7c0..e76fed1a 100644
--- a/packages/ipfs-unixfs-importer/README.md
+++ b/packages/ipfs-unixfs-importer/README.md
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@
 - [Example](#example)
 - [API](#api)
   - [const stream = importer(source, blockstore \[, options\])](#const-stream--importersource-blockstore--options)
-  - [const result = await importContent(content, blockstore \[, options\])](#const-result--await-importcontentcontent-blockstore--options)
+  - [const result = await importFile(content, blockstore \[, options\])](#const-result--await-importfilecontent-blockstore--options)
+  - [const result = await importDirectory(content, blockstore \[, options\])](#const-result--await-importdirectorycontent-blockstore--options)
   - [const result = await importBytes(buf, blockstore \[, options\])](#const-result--await-importbytesbuf-blockstore--options)
   - [const result = await importByteStream(source, blockstore \[, options\])](#const-result--await-importbytestreamsource-blockstore--options)
 - [API Docs](#api-docs)
@@ -97,7 +98,7 @@ When run, metadata about DAGNodes in the created tree is printed until the root:
 ## API
 
 ```js
-import { importer, importContent, importBytes } from 'ipfs-unixfs-importer'
+import { importer, importFile, importDir, importBytes, importByteStream } from 'ipfs-unixfs-importer'
 ```
 
 ### const stream = importer(source, blockstore \[, options])
@@ -119,10 +120,14 @@ The `importer` function returns an async iterator takes a source async iterator
 
 The input's file paths and directory structure will be preserved in the [`dag-pb`](https://github.com/ipld/js-dag-pb) created nodes.
 
-### const result = await importContent(content, blockstore \[, options])
+### const result = await importFile(content, blockstore \[, options])
 
 A convenience function for importing a single file or directory.
 
+### const result = await importDirectory(content, blockstore \[, options])
+
+A convenience function for importing a directory - note this is non-recursive, to import recursively use the [importer](#const-stream--importersource-blockstore--options) function.
+
 ### const result = await importBytes(buf, blockstore \[, options])
 
 A convenience function for importing a single Uint8Array.
diff --git a/packages/ipfs-unixfs-importer/src/dag-builder/index.ts b/packages/ipfs-unixfs-importer/src/dag-builder/index.ts
index d5cba6e6..3ef84010 100644
--- a/packages/ipfs-unixfs-importer/src/dag-builder/index.ts
+++ b/packages/ipfs-unixfs-importer/src/dag-builder/index.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { dirBuilder, DirBuilderOptions } from './dir.js'
 import { fileBuilder, FileBuilderOptions } from './file.js'
 import errCode from 'err-code'
-import type { Directory, File, ImportCandidate, InProgressImportResult } from '../index.js'
+import type { Directory, File, FileCandidate, ImportCandidate, InProgressImportResult } from '../index.js'
 import type { Blockstore } from 'interface-blockstore'
 import type { ChunkValidator } from './validate-chunks.js'
 import type { Chunker } from '../chunker/index.js'
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ export function defaultDagBuilder (options: DagBuilderOptions): DAGBuilder {
           .join('/')
       }
 
-      if (entry.content != null) {
+      if (isFileCandidate(entry)) {
         const file: File = {
           path: entry.path,
           mtime: entry.mtime,
@@ -84,3 +84,7 @@ export function defaultDagBuilder (options: DagBuilderOptions): DAGBuilder {
     }
   }
 }
+
+function isFileCandidate (entry: any): entry is FileCandidate {
+  return entry.content != null
+}
diff --git a/packages/ipfs-unixfs-importer/src/index.ts b/packages/ipfs-unixfs-importer/src/index.ts
index e14950ba..691c05f1 100644
--- a/packages/ipfs-unixfs-importer/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/ipfs-unixfs-importer/src/index.ts
@@ -16,13 +16,21 @@ import type { AwaitIterable } from 'blockstore-core/base'
 export type ByteStream = AwaitIterable<Uint8Array>
 export type ImportContent = ByteStream | Uint8Array
 
-export interface ImportCandidate {
+export interface FileCandidate {
   path?: string
-  content?: ImportContent
+  content: ImportContent
   mtime?: Mtime
   mode?: number
 }
 
+export interface DirectoryCandidate {
+  path: string
+  mtime?: Mtime
+  mode?: number
+}
+
+export type ImportCandidate = FileCandidate | DirectoryCandidate
+
 export interface File {
   content: AsyncIterable<Uint8Array>
   path?: string
@@ -180,7 +188,7 @@ export interface ImporterOptions {
   chunkValidator?: ChunkValidator
 }
 
-export type ImportCandidateStream = AsyncIterable<ImportCandidate> | Iterable<ImportCandidate>
+export type ImportCandidateStream = AsyncIterable<FileCandidate | DirectoryCandidate> | Iterable<FileCandidate | DirectoryCandidate>
 
 /**
  * The importer creates UnixFS DAGs and stores the blocks that make
@@ -210,7 +218,7 @@ export type ImportCandidateStream = AsyncIterable<ImportCandidate> | Iterable<Im
  * ```
  */
 export async function * importer (source: ImportCandidateStream, blockstore: Blockstore, options: ImporterOptions = {}): AsyncGenerator<ImportResult, void, unknown> {
-  let candidates: AsyncIterable<ImportCandidate> | Iterable<ImportCandidate>
+  let candidates: AsyncIterable<FileCandidate | DirectoryCandidate> | Iterable<FileCandidate | DirectoryCandidate>
 
   if (Symbol.asyncIterator in source || Symbol.iterator in source) {
     candidates = source
@@ -261,28 +269,59 @@ export async function * importer (source: ImportCandidateStream, blockstore: Blo
 }
 
 /**
- * `importContent` is similar to `importer` except it accepts a single
- * `ImportCandidate` and returns a promise of a single `ImportResult`
+ * `importFile` is similar to `importer` except it accepts a single
+ * `FileCandidate` and returns a promise of a single `ImportResult`
  * instead of a stream of results.
  *
  * @example
  *
  * ```typescript
- * import { importOne } from 'ipfs-unixfs-importer'
+ * import { importFile } from 'ipfs-unixfs-importer'
  * import { MemoryBlockstore } from 'blockstore-core'
  *
  * // store blocks in memory, other blockstores are available
  * const blockstore = new MemoryBlockstore()
  *
- * const input = {
+ * const input: FileCandidate = {
  *   path: './foo.txt',
  *   content: Uint8Array.from([0, 1, 2, 3, 4])
  * }
  *
- * const entry = await importContent(input, blockstore)
+ * const entry = await importFile(input, blockstore)
+ * ```
+ */
+export async function importFile (content: FileCandidate, blockstore: Blockstore, options: ImporterOptions = {}): Promise<ImportResult> {
+  const result = await first(importer([content], blockstore, options))
+
+  if (result == null) {
+    throw errcode(new Error('Nothing imported'), 'ERR_INVALID_PARAMS')
+  }
+
+  return result
+}
+
+/**
+ * `importDir` is similar to `importer` except it accepts a single
+ * `DirectoryCandidate` and returns a promise of a single `ImportResult`
+ * instead of a stream of results.
+ *
+ * @example
+ *
+ * ```typescript
+ * import { importDirectory } from 'ipfs-unixfs-importer'
+ * import { MemoryBlockstore } from 'blockstore-core'
+ *
+ * // store blocks in memory, other blockstores are available
+ * const blockstore = new MemoryBlockstore()
+ *
+ * const input: DirectoryCandidate = {
+ *   path: './foo.txt'
+ * }
+ *
+ * const entry = await importDirectory(input, blockstore)
  * ```
  */
-export async function importContent (content: ImportCandidate, blockstore: Blockstore, options: ImporterOptions = {}): Promise<ImportResult> {
+export async function importDirectory (content: DirectoryCandidate, blockstore: Blockstore, options: ImporterOptions = {}): Promise<ImportResult> {
   const result = await first(importer([content], blockstore, options))
 
   if (result == null) {
@@ -299,7 +338,7 @@ export async function importContent (content: ImportCandidate, blockstore: Block
  * @example
  *
  * ```typescript
- * import { importOne } from 'ipfs-unixfs-importer'
+ * import { importBytes } from 'ipfs-unixfs-importer'
  * import { MemoryBlockstore } from 'blockstore-core'
  *
  * // store blocks in memory, other blockstores are available
@@ -311,7 +350,7 @@ export async function importContent (content: ImportCandidate, blockstore: Block
  * ```
  */
 export async function importBytes (buf: ImportContent, blockstore: Blockstore, options: ImporterOptions = {}): Promise<ImportResult> {
-  return await importContent({
+  return await importFile({
     content: buf
   }, blockstore, options)
 }
@@ -323,7 +362,7 @@ export async function importBytes (buf: ImportContent, blockstore: Blockstore, o
  * @example
  *
  * ```typescript
- * import { importOne } from 'ipfs-unixfs-importer'
+ * import { importByteStream } from 'ipfs-unixfs-importer'
  * import { MemoryBlockstore } from 'blockstore-core'
  *
  * // store blocks in memory, other blockstores are available
@@ -338,7 +377,7 @@ export async function importBytes (buf: ImportContent, blockstore: Blockstore, o
  * ```
  */
 export async function importByteStream (bufs: ByteStream, blockstore: Blockstore, options: ImporterOptions = {}): Promise<ImportResult> {
-  return await importContent({
+  return await importFile({
     content: bufs
   }, blockstore, options)
 }