AuthenticationError
deepseek.AuthenticationError
Stack trace
deepseek.AuthenticationError: Invalid API key provided. Please check your DEEPSEEK_API_KEY environment variable.
Why it happens
This error happens because the DeepSeek client cannot authenticate with the API due to an invalid, missing, or revoked API key. The client sends the key in the request headers, and if the server rejects it, this exception is raised.
Detection
Check for AuthenticationError exceptions during client initialization or API calls, and verify that the API key environment variable is set and correctly loaded before making requests.
Causes & fixes
API key environment variable DEEPSEEK_API_KEY is not set or empty
Set the DEEPSEEK_API_KEY environment variable with your valid DeepSeek API key before running your application.
API key value is incorrect or has typos
Double-check the API key string for typos or missing characters and update the environment variable with the exact key from your DeepSeek dashboard.
API key has been revoked or expired
Generate a new API key from the DeepSeek dashboard and update your environment variable accordingly.
API key is not passed correctly to the DeepSeek client
Ensure your code reads the API key from os.environ['DEEPSEEK_API_KEY'] and passes it properly when initializing the DeepSeek client.
Code: broken vs fixed
from deepseek import DeepSeek
client = DeepSeek(api_key='') # Passing empty or invalid API key
response = client.search('example query') # This line raises AuthenticationErrorimport os
from openai import OpenAI
client = OpenAI(api_key=os.environ['DEEPSEEK_API_KEY'], base_url='https://api.deepseek.com')
response = client.chat.completions.create(model='gpt-4o-mini', messages=[{'role':'user','content':'example query'}])
print(response)Workaround
Catch AuthenticationError exceptions and prompt the user to verify or input a valid API key at runtime, allowing manual correction without crashing.
Prevention
Use environment variables to manage API keys securely and implement startup checks that validate the API key format and presence before making API calls.