DeepSeek

This guide connects Snodo to DeepSeek's own API and checks your configured models.

1. What you need

You need a DeepSeek API key and a model ID that DeepSeek serves. Snodo's built-in DeepSeek provider uses DeepSeek's API directly.

2. Store the key

The provider's default environment variable is DEEPSEEK_API_KEY. You can export it in your shell, or store the key with snodo config add deepseek <key>. To refer to an environment variable or command instead, use snodo config add deepseek --ref 'env:MY_DEEPSEEK_KEY' or snodo config add deepseek --ref 'command:your-secret-command'.

You can also set api_key_ref in ~/.snodo/config.yml, for example api_key_ref: env:MY_DEEPSEEK_KEY. A literal or encrypted api_key takes precedence over api_key_ref, which takes precedence over the environment variable.

3. Configure the provider

The built-in catalog supplies the API endpoint and default key variable, so the smallest provider block is:

providers:
  deepseek: {}

4. Choose model IDs

Snodo maps IDs beginning with deepseek/ to this provider. For example, use deepseek/deepseek-chat for each role:

llm:
  coder:
    model: deepseek/deepseek-chat
  validator:
    model: deepseek/deepseek-chat
  classifier:
    model: deepseek/deepseek-chat
  recon:
    model: deepseek/deepseek-chat

List models available through the provider with snodo models --provider deepseek.

DeepSeek models served by another host, such as ollama-cloud/deepseek-v4-pro:0813, belong under that host's provider block and key, not deepseek.

5. Verify

Run snodo models --check to make a live check against each configured model. Continue when each check passes.

6. Troubleshooting

Problem	What to check
The check reports a missing key.	Set DEEPSEEK_API_KEY or store a key with snodo config add deepseek <key>.
The check uses a different key than the environment variable.	A configured literal or encrypted api_key wins over the environment variable. Remove or replace the stored key, or use api_key_ref if you want a reference to supply the credential.
A model is not listed for DeepSeek.	Confirm the ID belongs to DeepSeek's own API and uses the deepseek/ prefix. Models served by another host need that host's provider configuration.