Connect a DeepSeek API Key to Your Chatbot

DeepSeek offers models at notably low prices through an API that is compatible with the OpenAI request format, which SiteTrellis uses. Before you connect it, read the data handling section: for many businesses the location and terms of the provider matter more than the price. The steps below describe the DeepSeek platform as of writing; consult its documentation for changes.

Create an account and top up#

Go to platform.deepseek.com and sign up or log in.
Open the Top up (billing) area and add balance. DeepSeek works from a prepaid balance. When the balance is empty, requests fail with an insufficient balance error.

Create the API key#

On the platform open API keys.
Click Create new API key and name it, for example "SiteTrellis production".
Copy the key immediately; it is displayed only once. It starts with sk-.

Set spend limits#

Because the account is prepaid, the balance you load is the cap on what a runaway or abused chat can cost. Load a modest amount at first, watch the usage page for a week, and top up deliberately rather than relying on automatic top-ups. Remember that when the balance reaches zero your chat will start to fail; add a fallback step on a second provider if availability matters (see AI keys overview).

Paste it into SiteTrellis#

In the dashboard open AI providers and add a key.
Choose DeepSeek, name it, paste the key and save.
Confirm the status becomes ok after the test.
In the agent's model section select the key and pick a model from the model list in the dashboard. Check the list's tool support marker if you use tools: some DeepSeek models handle tool calls well and others do not.

Typical errors#

Message or code	Meaning	Fix
401 authentication fails	Wrong or deleted key.	Create a new key, rotate it in SiteTrellis.
402 insufficient balance	The prepaid balance has run out.	Top up, then press Test.
400 / 422 invalid parameters	The selected model does not accept a setting (for example a temperature or tool format).	Choose a model that supports your setup, or reduce the agent's tools.
429 rate limit	Too many requests; DeepSeek throttles dynamically under load.	Retry later or add a fallback step.
500, 503 busy	The service is overloaded, which can happen at peak times.	Transient. A fallback step covers it. Slow responses can also hit the step timeout.

If DeepSeek is slow at busy times, raise the step's timeout a little (the builder allows up to 55 seconds) or place it as the second step behind a faster provider.

Data handling#

As of writing, DeepSeek's API is operated by a company based in China, and its privacy policy states that data is processed on servers there. Whether that is acceptable depends on your industry, your customers' expectations, and laws that apply to you (for example data transfer rules in the EU and UK, or sector rules). Read DeepSeek's current privacy policy and terms before sending real visitor conversations, and disclose the provider in your own privacy policy. If your visitors may share personal or sensitive information, consider another provider. You can also use the model list in your agent to give sensitive agents a different provider than your general ones.

For how SiteTrellis stores your key and your chats, see Security and privacy.