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Integrate with GitHub Copilot

DeepSeek V4 for Copilot Chat is a VS Code extension that adds DeepSeek V4 Pro & Flash directly into the GitHub Copilot Chat model picker. You keep Copilot's agent mode, tool calling, skills, and MCP — all powered by DeepSeek.

1. Install the Extension

  • Install VS Code 1.116 or later.
  • Make sure you have a GitHub Copilot subscription (Free / Pro / Enterprise — the free tier works).
  • Install the extension from the VS Code Marketplace.

2. Get a DeepSeek API Key

3. Configure the API Key in VS Code

  • Open the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P).
  • Run DeepSeek: Set API Key and paste your key.
  • The key is stored securely in the OS keychain, never on disk.

4. Select the Model and Start Chatting

  • Open Copilot Chat (Cmd+Shift+I / Ctrl+Shift+I).
  • Click the model picker at the top-right of the chat panel.
  • Choose DeepSeek V4 Pro or DeepSeek V4 Flash.
  • Start chatting — agent mode, tool calling, and all Copilot features work out of the box.

Optional: Configure Thinking Effort

In the model picker, click the gear icon next to a DeepSeek model to choose the thinking effort level:

  • None — fastest, no reasoning.
  • High — balanced (default).
  • Max — deep reasoning for complex tasks.

Optional: Vision Support

DeepSeek V4 is text-only, but the extension handles images automatically. Drop a screenshot into chat and it proxies through another installed Copilot model (Claude, GPT-4o) to describe the image before sending to DeepSeek. Run DeepSeek: Set Vision Proxy Model to pick which model handles image descriptions.