Setup guide - Documented by Cline
Use DeepSeek in Cline
Cline has a built-in DeepSeek API provider. You select DeepSeek in the API Provider dropdown, paste your key and choose a model. Cline's own issue tracker shows deepseek-flash available in that model list in Cline 4.1.21.
Last verified 5 steps3 official sources
Steps
- Step 1.
Create an API key in the API keys section of the DeepSeek Platform (https://platform.deepseek.com/api_keys) and copy it immediately.
- Step 2.
Open Cline Settings by clicking the gear icon in the Cline panel.
- Step 3.
Choose "DeepSeek" from the "API Provider" dropdown.
- Step 4.
Paste your key into the "DeepSeek API Key" field.
- Step 5.
Choose your model from the "Model" dropdown. Pick deepseek-flash or deepseek-v4-pro.
Caveats
- Cline's docs page does not list model ids. The ids here come from DeepSeek's docs, and cline/cline issue #14538 (Cline 4.1.21) confirms deepseek-flash appears in the DeepSeek provider's list.
- Avoid the retired alias deepseek-v4-flash in Cline. Issue #14538 (open as of 2026-10-17) reports that Cline shows it with a 128K context and $0.00 pricing, while the API serves 1,048,576 tokens and bills at the Flash price. Choose deepseek-flash instead.
More setup guides
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Related reading
- DeepSeek V4.1-Flash-1017: Benchmarks vs Opus 5, Pricing, Switch?DeepSeek V4.1-Flash-1017 jumps 11 points on Terminal-Bench 4.0 at the same deepseek-flash price. Benchmarks vs Opus 5, K3, GLM-5.3 and when to switch.
- DeepSeek 4.1 Flash as a Daily Coding Model: Cache, Peak Hours and LimitsDeepSeek 4.1 Flash as a daily coding model: what a session costs, how peak hours double the bill, why caching matters, and where the subsidy argument holds.
- Where to Run DeepSeek V4.1 Flash Free and CheapDeepSeek V4.1 Flash replaced V4 Flash. Official API: $0.15 input, $0.60 output off-peak. OpenRouter hosts start near $0.05. MIT weights are on Hugging Face.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash Vision Exp: Experimental Vision, Limits, and How to Run It in OpenCodeDeepSeek V4 Flash Vision Exp guide: supported image formats, three input methods, the 384-token per-image cap, and how to run it in OpenCode today.
- We Read DeepSeek Harness: What 453K Lines of Agent Runtime Actually SayDeepSeek Harness (dsh) code read: a 453K-line plugin runtime on a vendored Cordis fork, three patterns worth stealing, and the gaps the launch does not mention.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash Is 90% Off Through Novita on Vercel AI Gateway: The Cost MathDeepSeek V4 Flash via Novita on Vercel AI Gateway was 90% off for Pro customers through August 11. The before/after cost math and the provider-pinning setup.
FAQ
How do I use DeepSeek in Cline?
Cline has a built-in DeepSeek API provider. You select DeepSeek in the API Provider dropdown, paste your key and choose a model. Cline's own issue tracker shows deepseek-flash available in that model list in Cline 4.1.21.
Which DeepSeek model ids work in Cline?
The official docs read for this guide list deepseek-flash and deepseek-v4-pro. Requests go to https://api.deepseek.com.
Is this an official DeepSeek and Cline setup?
Cline documents this setup in its own docs. It was last checked against 3 official pages on October 17, 2026.
Sources
Last verified against 3 official pages.
- docs.cline.bothttps://docs.cline.bot/provider-config/deepseek
- github.comhttps://github.com/cline/cline/issues/14538
- api-docs.deepseek.comhttps://api-docs.deepseek.com/quick_start/pricing
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