DeepSeek API Integration Best Practices

DeepSeek API Integration Rules:

Model Selection:
- deepseek-chat: General conversation, coding, writing (V3)
- deepseek-reasoner: Complex reasoning, math, logic (R1)

API Configuration:
- Base URL: https://api.deepseek.com/v1
- Compatible with OpenAI SDK (drop-in replacement)
- Set timeout to 120s for reasoning models
- Use streaming for long responses

Best Practices:
- Implement exponential backoff for rate limits
- Cache responses for identical prompts
- Use structured output (JSON mode) for data extraction
- Monitor token usage and costs
- Implement content filtering for production apps