Reportedly: DeepSeek API adds web search and fetch, priced at RMB 5 per 1,000 successful requests
Reported by IT Home · not yet confirmed by the company or a second independent outlet. We update this page when it is.
DeepSeek announced its API now supports web search and fetch, priced at RMB 5 per 1,000 successful requests. Search/Fetch calls in DeepSeek Harness, Claude Code, and Codex are currently free but will be billed from November 1, 2026, 00:00 Beijing time, IT Home reported.
China context
- Original name
- 深度求索
- Outside China
- Global API · ithome.com
- Claims
- Company-reported; not yet independently evaluated
- For builders
- Developers outside China using DeepSeek API in agent frameworks will need to account for new per-request costs for Search/Fetch calls starting November 1, 2026, and can integrate the endpoints directly via api.deepseek.com with Bearer authentication.
- For investors
- The introduction of paid web search and fetch APIs indicates DeepSeek is monetizing its infrastructure beyond model inference, potentially improving unit economics and signaling a move toward platform-level services.
Translated from Chinese. Quotes and facts link to the original sources.
DeepSeek announced that its API now supports web search and fetch, with pricing set at RMB 5 per 1,000 successful requests. The Search and Fetch interfaces use DeepSeek's self-developed search engine to provide real-time web content for agent and RAG applications. Search returns structured results for a query, while Fetch retrieves a single webpage and returns the title and body as Markdown text. Both are raw JSON APIs with base URL api.deepseek.com and use the same Bearer authentication as the DeepSeek API. Currently, Search/Fetch calls made through DeepSeek Harness, Claude Code, and Codex are not billed, but billing will begin on November 1, 2026, at 00:00 Beijing time.
The Search and Fetch endpoints are raw JSON APIs that integrate with agent frameworks via server-side tool calls. They use DeepSeek's proprietary search engine, returning structured results for queries and Markdown-formatted content for single-page fetches. This enables real-time web grounding for RAG and agentic workflows without external search providers.
Developers using DeepSeek API in agent frameworks will incur new per-request costs for web search and fetch starting November 1, 2026, shifting from free to metered usage and potentially affecting cost calculations for RAG and agent applications.
The addition of web search and fetch to DeepSeek's API expands its utility for developers building agents and RAG systems, enabling real-time information retrieval without integrating separate search services. The per-request pricing provides a predictable cost model, though the transition from free to paid for existing Harness/Claude Code/Codex users may require budget adjustments.
A verifiable next signal is whether DeepSeek publishes usage limits or rate limits for the Search/Fetch endpoints before the billing start date. Another is whether competing Chinese API providers respond with similar search APIs or pricing adjustments.