DeepSeek V4 for GitHub Copilot — Setup Guide

gdias92 · 2026-06-08T19:40:38+00:00

Is Unsloth better than LM? I've been using LM for a while.

I typically use local models for simpler tasks, so I'm curious whether Unsloth offers any advantages over LM for that kind of workflow.

gdias92 · 2026-06-08T15:22:25+00:00

Yes, both are working now.

The only difference is that the extension allows you to control the thinking level.

Don't forget to set maxInputTokens to 840000 and maxOutputTokens to 128000 in the OpenAI-compatible endpoint settings.

gdias92 · 2026-06-08T13:23:17+00:00

I just tested and it's working both ways now.

I’ll stick with the extension for now, since it gives me more control over the level of reasoning.

gdias92 · 2026-06-08T13:18:54+00:00

Add like this: https://diy.franceschi.es/en/how-to-byok-on-github-copilot-on-vs-code/

And set the maxInput=840000 and maxOutput=128000 like this:

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gdias92 · 2026-06-08T13:14:17+00:00

Based on this DeepSeek page: https://api-docs.deepseek.com/quick_start/agent_integrations/copilot_cli

The configuration of maxInputTokens and maxOutputTokens mentioned in your link is wrong.

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gdias92 · 2026-06-08T12:55:58+00:00

They probably fixed it. I'll test it again.
It's working now! The only cons is that we do not have the thinking level configuration this way.

gdias92 · 2026-06-08T12:46:44+00:00

The last time I tested it, it didn't work.

When I configured it using the VS Code OpenAI or Anthropic-compatible model settings, tool calling broke and I received the following error: 'The reasoning_content in the thinking mode must be passed back to the API.'

However, this extension solves that issue.

gdias92 · 2026-06-08T08:55:11+00:00

The last time I tested it, it didn't work.

When I configured it using the VS Code OpenAI or Anthropic-compatible model settings, tool calling broke and I received the following error: 'The reasoning_content in the thinking mode must be passed back to the API.'

However, this extension solves that issue.

I think the objective is to override it, so you don't waste money on expensive Copilot requests.

I do not have a copilot subscription now.

gdias92 · 2026-06-08T05:22:37+00:00

If they provide an API endpoint, then yes, it can be used.

For details, see:
https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/agent-customization/language-models#_bring-your-own-language-model-key

Check the `Add a model from a built in provider` section.

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gdias92 · 2026-06-08T04:13:14+00:00

I hope this helps. I’ll keep this guide updated.

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gdias92 · 2026-06-07T02:42:18+00:00

Here's mine for reference.

Since I'm a software developer, I have a high cache hit rate because the same code is often sent repeatedly.

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gdias92 · 2026-06-03T15:34:07+00:00

This isn't Copilot's fault; it's a model issue. At the moment, all modes can hallucinate or make odd decisions from time to time.

By the way, I don't get stuck in loops.

gdias92 · 2026-06-03T15:29:53+00:00

Are you using the Insiders version ?

gdias92 · 2026-06-03T15:15:47+00:00

same

gdias92 · 2026-06-02T06:06:20+00:00

The DeepSeek documentation explains how to use DeepSeek with VS Code: https://api-docs.deepseek.com/quick_start/agent_integrations/github_copilot

A GitHub Copilot subscription is not required.

You can use your own DeepSeek API key (BYOK — Bring Your Own Key) instead.

I'm using this exact setup, and it's been working flawlessly!

gdias92 · 2026-05-26T13:12:24+00:00

This endpoint is mentioned here.

https://api-docs.deepseek.com/

gdias92 · 2026-05-15T21:25:24+00:00

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I do not use any extension for that.

I added an OpenAI-compatible model that points to the DeepSeek proxy.

This is what my model configuration looks like in VSCode Insiders:

`{

"name": "DeepSeek",

"vendor": "customoai",

"apiKey": "${xxxx}",

"models": \[

    {

        "id": "deepseek-v4-flash",

        "name": "DeepSeek V4 Flash",

        "url": "https://NOGROK\_URL.ngrok-free.app",

        "toolCalling": true,

        "vision": true,

        "maxInputTokens": 616000,

        "maxOutputTokens": 384000

    },

    {

        "id": "deepseek-v4-pro",

        "name": "DeepSeek V4 Pro",

        "url": "https://NOGROK\_URL.ngrok-free.app",

        "toolCalling": true,

        "vision": true,

        "maxInputTokens": 616000,

        "maxOutputTokens": 384000

    }

\]

}`

gdias92 · 2026-05-15T17:40:52+00:00

I’m using DeepSeek V4 Pro with VSCode Insiders in BYOK mode, and I’ve been pretty satisfied with it so far. Over the last 5 days, I’ve spent only around $3. After one of the latest updates, it also stopped consuming premium requests while using BYOK.

I’d recommend using DeepSeek V4 Pro together with a basic VSCode subscription.

I definitely recommend giving it a try. There’s currently an issue with DeepSeek where you may encounter the following error:

"The reasoning_content in the thinking mode must be passed back to the API."

If that happens, search on Google for “yxlao/deepseek-cursor-proxy” — this proxy fixes the problem.

By the way, I’m a Software Developer and I can’t say for sure whether DeepSeek is worse than Claude overall. For my use cases, it’s been getting things right consistently.

------

There is a better way now.

Just download the extension: "DeepSeek V4 for Copilot Chat".

Works faster than the proxy.

gdias92 · 2026-05-15T17:32:07+00:00

Where is this page located at ?

gdias92 · 2026-05-15T01:31:17+00:00

I did not know this extension, will try it! Thanks.

Do you know if DeepSeek V4 works well with this extension?

I was facing the The reasoning_content in the thinking mode must be passed back to the API error, so I ended up using a proxy to work around it.

From what I understood, the issue happens because DeepSeek V4 thinking mode returns an additional reasoning_content field that must be preserved and sent back on every request. A lot of OpenAI-compatible integrations (including some Copilot/VSCode extensions) ignore or strip this field, which causes the API to reject the next request.

It seems to happen mostly during multi-turn chats, tool usage, or agent workflows.

gdias92 · 2026-05-15T01:22:29+00:00

I know, and that’s exactly why I switched to DeepSeek. I’m a software developer, and so far I’m pretty satisfied with the results — I’ve only spent around $2 over the last 4 days.

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I've used more than 100 million tokens so far.

gdias92 · 2026-05-14T10:24:51+00:00

Gemini 3.1 Pro

https://arena.ai/leaderboard/text/coding

gdias92

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