How to Use DeepSeek? A Complete Beginner’s Guide for 2026 (With FAQ)

Heard DeepSeek is impressive but not sure where to start? This beginner’s guide to DeepSeek walks you through everything — registration, login, basic usage, prompting tips, and API calls — all in one place. Just follow along and you’ll be up and running in no time.

TL;DR: DeepSeek is a free Chinese AI model you can use directly in your browser — no VPN needed. It supports Chinese and English conversation, file analysis, and code generation. New users can register and start their first chat in under 5 minutes.

What Is DeepSeek? The Basics Every Beginner Should Know

DeepSeek is a large language model developed by the company DeepSeek (深度求索). It gained global attention in early 2025 with the release of DeepSeek-R1 and V3 — models that rival top commercial AI systems at a fraction of the cost. The core models are fully open-sourced under the MIT license, meaning anyone can download and deploy them for free.

For everyday users, the most practical benefit is simple: the web version is completely free, accessible in China without any extra tools, and requires no setup. If you want a broader overview of AI tools available in China, check out this Ultimate AI Tutorial Guide for 2025 for a structured introduction.

Core Features

DeepSeek currently offers the following main features:

Smart conversation: Natural language chat in Chinese and English — ask questions, write content, run analysis
Deep Thinking (R1 mode): When enabled, the model reasons through problems before answering — great for logic puzzles and math
Web search: Real-time internet search for up-to-date information
File upload and analysis: Upload PDFs, Word docs, Excel files, and more to extract key info or generate summaries
Code generation and debugging: Supports Python, JavaScript, SQL, and other popular languages

All of these features are available in both the web version and the mobile app, and switching between them is seamless.

Free vs. Paid — What’s the Difference?

The first question most people have is “do I need to pay?” Short answer: probably not.

	Free (Web / App)	Paid (API)
How to use	Browser or app, no setup	Requires code integration
Cost	Completely free	Pay per token
Models available	DeepSeek-V3 / R1	V3 / R1 both available
Speed	May queue during peak hours	More consistent
Best for	Everyday users	Developers, batch processing
Daily limits	Some usage caps apply	Pay-as-you-go, no hard cap

The free version is more than enough for most people. For reference, API pricing is roughly ¥8 per million output tokens for V3 and ¥16 for R1 — very competitive compared to similar models.

Registering and Logging In (Step by Step)

Web Registration

Open any browser (Chrome, Edge, Safari all work) and go to chat.deepseek.com
Click the “Login / Register” button in the top right
Choose your registration method: phone number, WeChat QR code, or email — all three work for users in China
For phone registration: enter your number → click “Get verification code” → enter the 6-digit code → click “Login”
Your account is created automatically on first login — no need to set a username or password separately
Once logged in, you’ll land on the chat interface. Click “Start a conversation” to begin

The whole process takes about 1–2 minutes with no friction.

iOS: Open the App Store, search “DeepSeek”, and download the official app (developer: Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence)
Android: Search “DeepSeek” in Tencent MyApp, Huawei AppGallery, or Xiaomi App Store
Open the app after installing and tap “Agree to Terms”
Enter your phone number → get the verification code → log in (same as the web flow)
The home screen is the chat interface, with “Deep Thinking” and “Web Search” toggles at the bottom

Accessing DeepSeek in China

DeepSeek’s website at chat.deepseek.com is directly accessible in China — no VPN or proxy needed. If it occasionally fails to load, it’s usually due to high server load. Wait a few minutes or try again at a less busy time.

If you run into persistent access issues, several Chinese platforms have integrated the DeepSeek model — including Baidu Wenxin and Alibaba Tongyi — and tend to be more stable. For a full list of free AI tools available in China, see Free AI Tools in China 2026.

Getting Started: Basic Operations

Starting Your First Conversation

After logging in, you’ll see a text input box in the center of the screen that says “Send a message to DeepSeek”
Type your request directly — for example: “Write me a one-day sick leave email, keep it professional”
Press Enter or click the send button
DeepSeek will start generating a response, usually within a few seconds
Not happy with the answer? Click “Regenerate” below the response, or follow up with something like “Make the tone more formal”

There are two toggle buttons on the left side of the input box:

Deep Thinking (R1): Shows the model’s reasoning process — best for problems that require logical steps
Web Search: Pulls in real-time information — best for current events or time-sensitive questions

Managing Conversations and History

Click “New conversation” at the top of the left sidebar to start a fresh thread
Past conversations are automatically saved in the left panel, sorted by most recent
Hover over any conversation to see “Rename” and “Delete” options
Use the search bar at the top to find past conversations by keyword

A good habit: start a new conversation for each distinct topic. Mixing unrelated tasks in one thread can confuse the model and reduce response quality.

Uploading and Analyzing Files

DeepSeek supports file uploads directly in the chat:

Click the paperclip icon on the left side of the input box
Select your file — supported formats include PDF, Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx), TXT, and common image formats
After the file uploads, type your request in the input box — for example: “Summarize the key points of this report in three bullet points”
Send it, and DeepSeek will read the file and respond based on your instructions

Note: There’s a file size limit (typically 10MB). For very long documents, consider uploading only the relevant sections or splitting the file into parts.

Prompting Tips That Actually Work

The quality of your prompt directly determines the quality of the response. If DeepSeek’s answers feel off, it’s usually not the model — it’s that the question was too vague.

For a deeper dive into AI prompting, check out this Complete Guide to AI Prompt Techniques, which covers full prompt frameworks and real-world examples.

Good Prompts vs. Bad Prompts

Weak prompt	Strong prompt	What changed
Write me an article	Write an 800-word Xiaohongshu-style post on “How to Choose a Coffee Machine” for office workers aged 25–35. Keep the tone light and fun, and end with a buying recommendation	Specified length, platform, topic, audience, tone, and structure
This code has a bug	This Python code throws a TypeError at runtime. Find the cause, fix it, and explain why the error occurred	Specified language, error type, and expected output
Analyze this data	Look at the uploaded Excel file, find the top 3 products by sales, and give a one-sentence explanation for each	Clear analysis goal and output format
Translate this	Translate the following into English. Use a formal business tone. Prioritize literal translation over paraphrasing: [content]	Specified tone and translation style

The core formula: Role + Task + Context + Output format. The more complete these four elements, the better the response.

Reusable Prompt Templates

Writing template:

You are an expert in [field]. Write a [word count]-word [format] on the topic of [topic]. The target audience is [audience]. The tone should be [style], and the structure should include [required sections].

Coding template:

I'm building [feature description] using [language/framework]. The problem I'm running into is [specific issue], and the error message is [error]. Please find the cause, provide the full fixed code, and explain what you changed.

Analysis template:

Analyze [data/content], focusing on [dimensions]. Output the results as [table/bullet points/paragraphs], and keep the conclusion under [word count] words.

If you’re using DeepSeek to help with coding, pairing it with an AI-powered code editor can boost your workflow significantly. Check out Getting Started with Cursor to learn how to call AI directly inside your editor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What do I do if DeepSeek won’t load?

A: First, make sure you’re going to the right URL: chat.deepseek.com. If the page won’t open, it’s usually high server load during peak hours — try again in the morning or late at night. You can also try clearing your browser cache or switching browsers. If the issue persists, platforms like Baidu Wenxin or Alibaba Tongyi have integrated DeepSeek and tend to be more reliable alternatives.

Q: What if the answers are inaccurate?

A: Start by checking whether your question was specific enough — vague prompts tend to produce vague answers. You can follow up in the same conversation with something like “That answer was incorrect — the right answer is XXX, please try again.” You can also enable Deep Thinking mode to get more careful reasoning. For questions that need real-time data (like current prices or breaking news), make sure Web Search is turned on.

Q: What’s the difference between the app and the web version?

A: Functionally, they’re nearly identical — both support Deep Thinking, Web Search, and file uploads. The main difference is experience: the app is more convenient for quick, on-the-go use, while the web version is better for handling long documents or tasks that involve a lot of copy-pasting. Conversation history syncs across both, so you can switch between them seamlessly with the same account.

Q: Does DeepSeek save my conversations?

A: Yes. When you’re logged in, all conversations are saved to the server by default and accessible from the history panel on the left. You can manually delete any conversation you don’t want to keep. If you’re concerned about privacy, avoid entering sensitive personal information like ID numbers, bank card details, or passwords in the chat.

Q: Are there usage limits on the free version?

A: Yes. The free version has a daily conversation limit, and you may encounter a queue during peak hours. Deep Thinking (R1) mode uses more resources and has stricter limits. For casual use, the free tier is plenty. If you need high-frequency access or batch processing, the API’s pay-as-you-go model offers more flexibility.

Q: What file formats does DeepSeek support?

A: Currently supported formats include PDF, Word (.doc/.docx), Excel (.xls/.xlsx), PowerPoint (.ppt/.pptx), TXT, Markdown, and common image formats (JPG, PNG). Keep individual files under 10MB — larger files may fail to upload or process slowly.

Advanced: DeepSeek API Quick Start

If you’re a developer or want to integrate DeepSeek into your own project, the API is the most flexible option.

Getting Your API Key

Go to platform.deepseek.com and log in (or create a new account)
Click “API Keys” in the left menu
Click “Create API Key”, give it a name (e.g., “my-project”)
The system will generate a key starting with sk- — copy and save it immediately, as it won’t be shown again after you close the page
New accounts receive a free token credit to use for testing

Important: treat your API key like a password. Don’t commit it to GitHub or share it with others.

A Simple API Call

DeepSeek’s API is compatible with the OpenAI SDK format — you only need to change the base_url and model parameters.

Python example (install the openai library first: pip install openai):

from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
    api_key="your-api-key-here",     # Replace with your sk- key
    base_url="https://api.deepseek.com/v1"
)

response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="deepseek-chat",           # V3 model; use "deepseek-reasoner" for R1
    messages=[
        {"role": "system", "content": "You are a helpful assistant"},
        {"role": "user", "content": "Explain machine learning in three sentences"}
    ]
)

print(response.choices[0].message.content)

If you see text output, your API setup is working correctly.

Pricing reference:

deepseek-chat (V3): ¥2 per million input tokens, ¥8 per million output tokens
deepseek-reasoner (R1): ¥4 per million input tokens, ¥16 per million output tokens

For testing and small projects, costs typically run from a few cents to a couple of yuan — very affordable.

Wrapping Up

Using DeepSeek really isn’t complicated: go to chat.deepseek.com → register with your phone number → start chatting. Three steps and you’re in. Once you get comfortable, learning to write better prompts and use the file upload feature will make a noticeable difference. And if you have development needs, the API is straightforward to integrate — it’s OpenAI-compatible, so migration is minimal.

If this guide was helpful, feel free to bookmark it. Have questions or want to share your experience with other AI tools? Drop a comment below.