How to Use DeepSeek

New to DeepSeek? Five minutes to understand where to start, how to ask, what it can do — and where to go next if you want to go deeper.

The single most important thing. DeepSeek is a model, not a website. The same model has dozens of entry points: the official site, the mobile app, dozens of provider APIs, and countless products built on top. Where you enter determines what you pay and what limits apply.

1. Three entry points, pick one

Entry	Best for	Cost	Limits
Official web `chat.deepseek.com`	Quick questions, writing	Free	Rate limited, no SLA
Mobile app search "DeepSeek" in your store	On the go, voice input	Free	Same
API platform.deepseek.com	Calling it from code	Pay per use ~$0.15-0.66 per 1M tokens	Requires programming

For beginners: start with the official web or app. It is free. Move to the API when you find yourself using it daily and needing a fixed output format.

2. Five most common uses

1. Writing (emails, reports, copy)

Rewrite this into a formal email. Polite but not obsequious.
The recipient is my manager, who needs to approve a budget.

[draft]

The key: say who reads it and in what tone. Otherwise it writes marketing fluff.

2. Understanding long documents

I do not fully understand this document. Give me:
1. The core point in three sentences
2. Every key number
3. Where it is ambiguous

[paste the document]

DeepSeek V4 has a 1M-token context — roughly a whole book. Paste the entire thing.

3. Learning something new

I am a complete beginner trying to understand [concept].
Explain with examples from everyday life, no jargon.
If you must use a term, define it first.

4. Code and debugging

This errors:
[error]

My code:
[code]

Already tried: [what you tried]
Do not rewrite the whole file. Tell me which line is wrong and why.

The classic mistake: not saying what you already tried. It will suggest exactly the things you did.

5. Translation and editing

Translate to English, keeping my informal tone.
No translationese — write like a native speaker:

[text]

3. Asking better (three rules)

Rule	Example
Say who reads it	Bad: "write a proposal" Good: "a proposal for my boss, who decides whether to fund it"
Say what you do NOT want	Bad: "write well" Good: "no corporate jargon"
Give an example	Bad: "in this style" Good: "in this style: 'Nice day. Worth a walk.'"

A counter-intuitive tip: start with a dumb question. Do not ask for a perfect output on turn one. Ask "roughly how would this work", check whether it understood, then add requirements. Multi-turn beats one long prompt.

4. Four common misconceptions

Misconception	Reality
"It knows everything"	Its knowledge has a cutoff and it does not know your context. Supply background.
"It is always right"	It fabricates. Numbers, citations and names most of all. Verify what matters.
"Free means worse"	The official web is free and runs the same model. It is only rate limited.
"Longer is better"	Overlong prompts bury the point. Clear beats long.

5. Going deeper — pick your goal

What you want	Where
Better prompts	Prompt library
What the API would cost	Cost calculator
A cheaper provider	Provider comparison — up to 6x spread
Run it locally, offline	Self-hosting
Wire it into your app	Integrations
Build an assistant with Harness	DeepSeek Harness
Write your own plugin	Plugin development guide

6. One practical warning

Before you pay, check this. The same DeepSeek model costs up to 6x more from one provider than another. Official V4.1 Flash off-peak input is $0.15 per 1M tokens; some providers charge $0.025.

→ Provider comparison (197 quotes, updated daily)

7. About this page

We are a third-party site, not affiliated with DeepSeek. This advice comes from actual use, not official marketing. If something here is wrong, tell us.

FAQ · Prompt library · Provider comparison · Developer guide