DeepSeek as a model provider for your bot

Overview

DeepSeek is a language-model provider your bot can use as its main model or as a fallback model, in the same place where you pick OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Groq and the rest.

Access is native: the platform talks straight to api.deepseek.com. That differs from using the same model through OpenRouter — with native access, usage is billed to your DeepSeek account, with your key, with no middleman.

Prerequisites

• Maestro enabled and a configured bot.
• A DeepSeek API key (create one at platform.deepseek.com/api_keys).
• Administrator permission to configure keys.

Step by step

Pick one of the three places for the key — the bot looks them up in this order:

1. This bot only — in the bot's configuration, API keys (per provider) section, DeepSeek row: paste the key and hit Test to confirm before saving.
2. For the whole account — under Settings → Integrations → DeepSeek, enter the key. Every bot in the account can then use it (as long as that bot has account-key usage turned on).
3. For the installation — the operator sets the key in the super admin panel. It applies as a last resort for every account.

Once the key is saved:

4. Go back to the bot's configuration and open the Model picker.
5. Choose DeepSeek V4 Pro or DeepSeek V4 Flash as the main model, or add one of them to the fallback chain.
6. Save.

Settings & options

The key lookup order

The bot's key always wins. The two global sources only apply if the installation allows it and the bot has that option on — the same rule as every other provider.

Live model list

With a key configured, the platform reads the model list straight from DeepSeek, so a newly released model shows up without an update. The listing requires the key — there is no anonymous lookup. If the lookup fails, the picker falls back to the curated list above and is never empty.

Native vs through OpenRouter

The same model may appear twice in the picker:

• deepseek:… — native access, billed to your DeepSeek account.
• openrouter:deepseek/… — the same model through OpenRouter, billed to your OpenRouter account.

This is not a duplicate: they are different routes and different invoices. Pick native if you have a DeepSeek account.

Use cases

• Cost at volume — DeepSeek V4 Flash on high-volume bots with short replies.
• Heavier reasoning — DeepSeek V4 Pro on bots that analyse or decide.
• Fallback for another provider — put a DeepSeek model in the chain so service does not stop when the main provider is unavailable or out of credit.

Tips, limits & best practices

• Test the key in the form before saving. An invalid key shows up immediately.
• When building the fallback chain, avoid repeating the same provider back to back: if the outage is account-level (out of credit), the second attempt knocks on the same closed door. Alternate providers.
• Usage is billed to your DeepSeek account — watch the balance there.
• The key is write-only: once saved, the interface only shows that one exists, never its value.
• Switching models does not clear any other bot setting.

Troubleshooting

• "DeepSeek does not appear in the model picker" — there is no key at any of the three levels, or the bot has global-key usage turned off.
• "The key was rejected in the test" — issue a new one at platform.deepseek.com/api_keys and check for a leading or trailing space.
• "The model list came back empty" — the DeepSeek lookup failed; the picker shows the curated list and you can still choose normally.
• "The bot fell back to another provider constantly" — check the DeepSeek account balance.
• "I chose DeepSeek and the charge landed on OpenRouter" — you selected the openrouter:deepseek/… variant; switch to the one starting with deepseek:.

See also

• What Maestro AI and the Account Brain are
• Portable templates: save, duplicate, share and migrate a bot
• Maestro tools by module
• Where each bot is used