DeepSeek API Integration Tutorial: A Step-by-Step Guide with Apifox

The DeepSeek API offers powerful AI capabilities for developers. This tutorial will guide you through integrating the DeepSeek API into your projects, showcasing how to obtain an API key and use it effectively for debugging using Apifox. Apifox is an integrated API collaboration platform, streamlining the entire API lifecycle from design and documentation to debugging and testing.

Getting Started with DeepSeek API

Registering and Obtaining Your API Key

1. Access the DeepSeek Open Platform: Begin by navigating to the DeepSeek Open Platform.
2. Sign Up and Receive Free Tokens: Upon registration, new users are often granted 10 RMB worth of tokens for free. Note: This offer may not always be available.
3. Create Your API Key: Locate the "API Keys" section on the left sidebar of the DeepSeek platform. Click on it to create a new API key.
4. Securely Save Your API Key: Copy the generated API key and store it in a secure and easily accessible location. This key is essential for authenticating your requests to the DeepSeek API. Due to security measures, you won't be able to view the key again through the DeepSeek interface, so make sure to save it properly.

Debugging DeepSeek API with Apifox

Apifox simplifies API debugging and integration. It's an all-in-one API collaboration platform that handles API design, documentation, testing, and mocking.

Configuring Apifox for DeepSeek API

1. Create a New HTTP Project: After logging into Apifox, create a new HTTP project to organize your DeepSeek API interactions.
2. Set Up Environment Variables:
   • Navigate to "Environment Management" in the project's upper right corner.
   • Select or create a "Formal Environment."
   • Set the "Service Pre-URL" to https://api.deepseek.com.
   • Add a new environment variable named API_KEY and assign it the value of the DeepSeek API key you obtained earlier.
   • Save the changes.

Importing and Configuring the DeepSeek API Endpoint

1. Create a New API Interface: Within your Apifox project, create a new interface to interact with the DeepSeek API.

2. Import the cURL Command: Copy the cURL command for the DeepSeek chat API from either the official DeepSeek API documentation or the example below:

   curl https://api.deepseek.com/chat/completions \
   -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
   -H "Authorization: Bearer {{API_KEY}}" \
   -d '{
        "model": "deepseek-chat",
        "messages": [
          {"role": "system", "content": "你是一个全能助手"},
          {"role": "user", "content": "广东的省会是哪里？"}
        ],
        "stream": false
      }'
   

3. Paste cURL into Apifox: Paste the copied cURL command directly into the interface path field in Apifox; Apifox automatically parses the cURL command.

Configuring Headers

1. After Apifox parses the cURL, go to Headers
2. Modify the value of the "Authorization" parameter to Bearer {{API_KEY}}. This tells Apifox to use the API key stored in your environment variables. It's important to use double curly braces {{API_KEY}}, this will dynamically use the API_KEY you have stored.

Testing the API Endpoint

Ensure that in the top right you are using the "Formal Environment". Click the send button to send the request. You should receive a message from the API. You can modify the value of the messages field in the body to change the output.

Stream Output

To get a live, stream output of the messages, set the stream value in the body to true.

Specifying Models

Append the following to specify which model to use:

• model='deepseek-chat' to call DeepSeek-V3
• model='deepseek-reasoner' to call DeepSeek-R1

Conclusion

By following this tutorial, you have learned how to obtain a DeepSeek API key and successfully integrate it with Apifox for API debugging and testing. Using Apifox simplifies the integration process.