Connect DeepSeek to Reduz.

Nico uses DeepSeek for high-volume daily summarization because the per-token pricing is the lowest among major providers. Theo keeps a DeepSeek key as backup for when his primary provider rate-limits. This guide walks through connecting your DeepSeek API key to Reduz so summaries go directly from your tab to DeepSeek. No Reduz server in the middle. Setup takes about two minutes once you have a key.

Setup steps

1. 1

   Create an API key in the DeepSeek platform console

   Open https://platform.deepseek.com/api_keys and sign in to your DeepSeek account. Click "Create new key" (label varies by provider) and copy the key value. Most provider keys start with "sk-" and are 30+ characters long. Treat the key like a password. Anyone with the key can spend on your account.

2. 2

   Install Reduz from the Chrome Web Store

   If you haven't already, install the Reduz extension from the Chrome Web Store. The extension runs entirely on your device and uses click-only access. It can only read a page when you click it.

3. 3

   Open Reduz extension settings

   Click the Reduz toolbar icon, then the settings gear. Scroll to the AI provider section. Each supported provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, DeepSeek, xAI) has its own row with a key field and a model selector.

4. 4

   Select Your own AI key as the active mode

   In the mode chooser, select Your own AI key. This tells Reduz to use your provider key instead of free credits. You can switch back to free credits at any time without losing your saved keys.

5. 5

   Paste the DeepSeek key in the matching row

   Find the DeepSeek provider row in extension settings and paste your API key. Make sure you paste it into the DeepSeek row, not OpenAI or Anthropic. Keys in the wrong row will fail authentication. The key is stored in Chrome extension storage on your device and is never sent to a Reduz server.

6. 6

   Choose a DeepSeek model

   Pick the model variant from the dropdown. See the Model selection section below for recommendations on which model fits which workload.

7. 7

   Run the built-in connection test

   Click "Test connection" on the provider row. Reduz sends a tiny test request to validate that the key is active, the account has usable balance, and the selected model is available. Success means you're ready to summarize.

8. 8

   Summarize a non-sensitive source first

   For your first BYOK request, pick a public article or a YouTube video with captions. Confirm the output quality matches expectations and check the response time. Once you're comfortable, scale up to PDFs and longer sources.

Why bring your own DeepSeek key

DeepSeek is the most cost-competitive major provider for summarization. Per-token pricing is well below OpenAI, Anthropic, and even Google's paid Gemini tier. DeepSeek V4 Flash and DeepSeek V4 Pro produce strong summaries for daily-volume work. The trade is reliability: DeepSeek has had recurring server-busy incidents throughout 2025-2026, especially during peak hours. For mission-critical workflows, set DeepSeek as primary and OpenAI or Anthropic as fallback. That is the standard pattern.

Model selection

Reduz defaults to DeepSeek V4 Flash as the daily-volume option. Fast, cheap, and broadly available. DeepSeek V4 Pro is the reasoning-focused variant for harder content where step-by-step structure matters more than speed. Reduz calls DeepSeek through its OpenAI-compatible API path, so requests behave the same way as your OpenAI key.

Cost expectations

DeepSeek bills usage to your DeepSeek platform account at API rates that are among the lowest in the category. A 3,000-word article on DeepSeek V4 Flash typically runs a fraction of a cent; a 30-page PDF runs a few cents at most. No subscription markup in Reduz when you use your own AI key. You pay only what DeepSeek charges. For tighter cost control on long PDFs and transcripts, use Reduz's content-limit setting to cap token usage per request.

Free tier availability

DeepSeek does not offer a usable free API tier. Every API call requires positive account balance, even tiny test requests. The chat product at chat.deepseek.com is free, but the API is paid-only from the first request. Top up at platform.deepseek.com before generating a key. If you want a free path with no balance requirement, use Reduz free credits (100 a month) or connect Google Gemini AI Studio.

Privacy posture for source text

When you use your own AI key, your DeepSeek API key stays in Chrome extension storage on your device. Reduz never sees it. Source text goes directly from your tab to DeepSeek's API. The Reduz server is not in the request path. DeepSeek's data policy is less mature than US-based providers. Check DeepSeek's current API terms before submitting sensitive content. For sensitive summaries, prefer OpenAI or Anthropic with their API-default no-training policies. For comparison, free credits send source text through Reduz (with an installation identifier for credit counting) to a hosted AI model. That is useful when you do not want to manage a provider key, but it is a different data path than using your own key.

Practical checklist

• Create the key at https://platform.deepseek.com/api_keys and copy it once. Most consoles only show full keys at creation time.
• Treat the key like a password. Do not paste it into shared documents, screenshots, or cloud notes.
• Paste the key into the DeepSeek row in Reduz extension settings, not into a different provider row.
• Switch to your own AI key mode before running the first request.
• Pick the DeepSeek model that fits your workload (see Model selection above).
• Run the connection test before summarizing real content.
• Summarize a non-sensitive source first to validate output quality and cost.
• Consider scoping the key to a small monthly budget at the provider for safety.

Frequently asked questions