A DeepSeek API key is what your backend uses to spend tokens. Free consumer chat does not replace it. Create the key on platform.deepseek.com, store it in secrets, and pin deepseek-flash or deepseek-v4-pro in requests. Billing follows the 17 September 2026 pricing page snapshot in our posts—recheck live rates before you scale.
Creating the key
Open platform.deepseek.com, sign in, and create an API key from the console. Copy it once into a password manager or cloud secret store. Name keys per environment (dev, staging, prod) so you can revoke one without killing everything. As of 17 September 2026, consumer chat is free; API usage is pay-per-token—your key is the meter. If the UI moves, follow the platform’s current docs rather than a screenshot from a blog. Treat every rate and limit as a dated snapshot from DeepSeek or the other vendor docs linked in sources, not as a permanent contract price.
Using the key without leaking it
Load the key from environment variables in Python, Node, or PHP. Never commit .env files with live secrets. Restrict who can read production secrets. Rotate on staff changes. Log request IDs and token counts, not the raw key. When testing locally, use a low-balance or revocable dev key. Free chat sessions in a browser are fine for exploration; they are not how you authenticate server-side API calls. Treat every rate and limit as a dated snapshot from DeepSeek or the other vendor docs linked in sources, not as a permanent contract price. Recheck platform.deepseek.com for
What the key can spend
With a key you pay Flash or Pro rates. Flash peak $0.30 / $1.20 per million (off-peak half), Pro peak $1.32 / $3.96 (off-peak half), with much cheaper cached input—figures from the 17 September 2026 pricing page. Peak windows are described as weekdays 01:00–04:00 and 06:00–10:00 UTC; confirm on the pricing page. Set budget alerts if the platform offers them. Recheck platform.deepseek.com before large launches. Treat every rate and limit as a dated snapshot from DeepSeek or the other vendor docs linked in sources, not as a permanent contract price. Recheck platform.deepseek.com for Flash and
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Frequently asked questions
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Do I need a key for free chat?
Consumer chat is a separate free product as of the 17 September 2026 pricing page. API keys are for programmatic pay-per-token access. Use chat without wiring keys; use keys for apps and agents. Confirm live details on the vendor docs linked in this brief before you quote a client or ship production traffic. Attribute DeepSeek Flash and Pro figures to the 17 September 2026 pricing page when you
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What if my key leaks?
Revoke it immediately on platform.deepseek.com and create a new one. Check usage for unexpected traffic. Rotate any CI secrets that held the old value. Confirm live details on the vendor docs linked in this brief before you quote a client or ship production traffic. Attribute DeepSeek Flash and Pro figures to the 17 September 2026 pricing page when you reuse them, then recheck platform.deepseek.com.
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Does one key cover Flash and Pro?
Typically you choose the model per request with the same account keyu2014confirm in DeepSeek’s current docs. Billing follows whichever model you call. Recheck platform.deepseek.com. Confirm live details on the vendor docs linked in this brief before you quote a client or ship production traffic. Attribute DeepSeek Flash and Pro figures to the 17 September 2026 pricing page when you reuse them, then recheck platform.deepseek.com.
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Is a Cursor account the same as a DeepSeek key?
No. Cursor has its own billing and model pools. A DeepSeek API key is issued by DeepSeek. Do not assume Hobby includes free DeepSeek API access. Confirm live details on the vendor docs linked in this brief before you quote a client or ship production traffic. Attribute DeepSeek Flash and Pro figures to the 17 September 2026 pricing page when you reuse them, then recheck platform.deepseek.com.
Sources
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