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If you want to run OpenClaw with DeepSeek, this guide walks you through the full setup inside Agent 37. You will create a DeepSeek API key, open your hosted OpenClaw terminal, and configure DeepSeek as the active model provider for your instance. This page is based on the video walkthrough below and turns it into a written step-by-step guide you can follow at your own pace.

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Video walkthrough

Before you begin:

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Why use DeepSeek with OpenClaw

DeepSeek is a useful option when you want a provider that is API-compatible with OpenAI-style tooling while still giving you DeepSeek-specific model choices. If you already run OpenClaw in Agent 37, switching to DeepSeek is mostly a configuration change in the hosted terminal.

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Step 1: Create your DeepSeek API key

  1. Go to the DeepSeek API docs and open your DeepSeek platform account.
  2. Create or copy an API key for the account you want to use with OpenClaw.
  3. Store the key somewhere safe so you can paste it into the Agent 37 terminal.
Keep this key private. Anyone with the key can consume usage on your DeepSeek account.

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Step 2: Open your Agent 37 instance

  1. Go to the Agent 37 dashboard.
  2. Open the OpenClaw instance you want to configure.
  3. Click Terminal.
You will do the full setup from the hosted Agent 37 terminal. You do not need to configure DeepSeek on your local machine.

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Step 3: Start the OpenClaw configuration flow

In Terminal, run: 
openclaw configure
When prompted, choose:
  1. Where will the gateway run? → Local
  2. Select Section to Configure? → Model
  3. Model / Auth Provider → DeepSeek

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Step 4: Add your DeepSeek API key

After selecting the provider:
  1. Choose the DeepSeek API key authentication option
  2. Paste the API key you created in Step 1
  3. Continue to the model picker
OpenClaw will save the credential to your instance configuration.

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Step 5: Select a DeepSeek model

Choose the DeepSeek model you want OpenClaw to use as the active model for this instance. Common choices include: 
deepseek-chat
deepseek-reasoner
According to the official DeepSeek API docs, deepseek-chat is the standard chat model and deepseek-reasoner is the reasoning-focused model.

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Step 6: Verify the model is active

Run: 
openclaw models list
You should see the selected DeepSeek model in the output. If you want to switch models later, rerun openclaw configure or use the exact model identifier shown by OpenClaw in the model management commands.

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What this changes in Agent 37

Once setup is complete:
  • your OpenClaw instance uses DeepSeek as the configured provider
  • your agent can use the selected DeepSeek model for prompts and workflows
  • you can keep using the same Agent 37 channels, tools, and hosted environment

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Common issues

If the setup does not work on the first try, check these first:
  • the API key was copied correctly
  • you selected DeepSeek in openclaw configure
  • the model name you picked is available in your DeepSeek account
  • the configuration flow finished without interruption
  • your DeepSeek account has available balance if the API rejects requests
If needed, rerun: 
openclaw configure

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Which DeepSeek model should you choose

Start with deepseek-chat if you want a general-purpose model for everyday agent tasks. Choose deepseek-reasoner if your workflow benefits from stronger reasoning and more deliberate responses.

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What to do next

Change default model

Switch between configured model providers as your workflow changes.

OpenAI API

Compare the DeepSeek setup flow with the OpenAI provider flow.