Installing and Managing Extensions

Learn how to extend ComfyUI’s functionality by installing custom nodes and extensions from the community.

Installation Methods

There are three primary ways to install custom nodes:

ComfyUI Manager

Easiest method with GUI

Manual Git Clone

Direct installation

comfy-cli

Command-line tool

Using ComfyUI Manager

The recommended method for most users.

Setup

Install Manager Requirements

pip install -r manager_requirements.txt

Enable Manager

python main.py --enable-manager

Access Manager UI

Open ComfyUI and click the Manager button

Installing Nodes

Browse Extensions

Search or browse available custom nodes in the Manager

Select Extension

Click on the extension you want to install

Install

Click the Install button

Restart ComfyUI

Restart ComfyUI to load the new nodes

The manager automatically handles dependencies and git operations for you.

Manual Installation

Install extensions manually using git.

Prerequisites

Git installed on your system
Write access to the ComfyUI directory

Installation Steps

Navigate to Custom Nodes

cd ComfyUI/custom_nodes/

Clone Repository

git clone https://github.com/username/extension-name

Install Dependencies

cd extension-name
pip install -r requirements.txt

Restart ComfyUI

Restart ComfyUI to load the new nodes

Example

cd ComfyUI/custom_nodes/
git clone https://github.com/example/comfyui-custom-nodes
cd comfyui-custom-nodes
pip install -r requirements.txt
cd ../..
python main.py

Using comfy-cli

The official ComfyUI command-line tool.

Installation

pip install comfy-cli

Managing Extensions

comfy install

comfy node install extension-name

comfy node update

comfy node list

For complete documentation, see the comfy-cli docs.

Managing Installed Extensions

Updating Extensions

Via Manager

Open ComfyUI Manager
Navigate to Update tab
Select extensions to update
Click Update
Restart ComfyUI

Via Git

cd ComfyUI/custom_nodes/extension-name
git pull
pip install -r requirements.txt --upgrade

Disabling Extensions

To temporarily disable an extension without removing it:

Rename Method
Manager Method

Rename the extension folder:

cd ComfyUI/custom_nodes/
mv extension-name extension-name.disabled

Restart ComfyUI.

Removing Extensions

To completely remove an extension:

cd ComfyUI/custom_nodes/
rm -rf extension-name

Restart ComfyUI after removal.

Removing an extension will break workflows that depend on it.

Finding Extensions

Official Sources

ComfyUI Manager

Browse extensions directly in the Manager UI

GitHub

Search GitHub for “comfyui-” repositories

Popular Extensions

Some popular categories of extensions:

Image Processing: Advanced filters, effects, and transformations
ControlNet: Additional ControlNet models and processors
Video: Video generation and processing nodes
Utilities: Workflow helpers, converters, and tools
Model Loaders: Support for additional model formats

Extension Structure

Understanding extension structure helps with troubleshooting:

extension-name/
├── __init__.py              # Entry point
├── nodes/                   # Node definitions
│   └── my_nodes.py
├── web/                     # Frontend extensions
│   └── extensions.js
├── example_workflows/       # Example workflows
│   └── example.json
├── locales/                 # Translations
│   └── en/
│       └── main.json
├── requirements.txt         # Python dependencies
└── README.md               # Documentation

Extension Configuration

Model Paths

Some extensions require specific model files. Configure paths in extra_model_paths.yaml:

comfyui:
  base_path: /path/to/stable-diffusion-webui/
  
  checkpoints: models/Stable-diffusion/
  vae: models/VAE/
  loras: models/Lora/
  controlnet: models/ControlNet/

Environment Variables

Some extensions use environment variables:

# Example: Set cache directory
export COMFYUI_CACHE_DIR=/path/to/cache

# Example: Set model directory
export COMFYUI_MODEL_DIR=/path/to/models

python main.py --enable-manager

Troubleshooting

Extension Not Loading

Check Console Output

Look for error messages when starting ComfyUI:

python main.py --enable-manager

Common errors:

Import errors (missing dependencies)
Syntax errors in extension code
Duplicate node IDs

Verify Dependencies

Ensure all required packages are installed:

cd ComfyUI/custom_nodes/extension-name
pip install -r requirements.txt

Check Compatibility

Verify the extension is compatible with your ComfyUI version:

Check the extension’s README
Look for version requirements
Check the extension’s issue tracker

File Permissions

Ensure ComfyUI has read access:

chmod -R 755 ComfyUI/custom_nodes/extension-name

Import Errors

If you see import errors:

ImportError: No module named 'some_package'

Install the missing package:

pip install some_package

Or reinstall extension requirements:

cd ComfyUI/custom_nodes/extension-name
pip install -r requirements.txt --upgrade --force-reinstall

Conflicting Extensions

If two extensions conflict:

Check node IDs: Extensions may register nodes with the same ID
Disable one: Temporarily disable one extension
Check logs: Look for conflict messages in the console
Contact authors: Report the issue to extension maintainers

Performance Issues

If ComfyUI becomes slow after installing extensions:

Identify Culprit

Disable extensions one by one to find the problematic one

Check Resource Usage

Monitor CPU, GPU, and memory usage

Update Extension

Ensure you’re using the latest version

Report Issue

Report performance issues to the extension author

Security Considerations

Custom nodes execute Python code on your machine. Only install extensions from trusted sources.

Safety Checklist

Before Installing

Review the extension’s source code on GitHub
Check the repository’s stars and forks
Read user reviews and issues
Verify the author is trustworthy
Check when it was last updated

Code Review

Before installing, review critical files:

__init__.py - Entry point
Node execution code
Any file operations
Network requests

# View the main entry point
cat ComfyUI/custom_nodes/extension-name/__init__.py

# Search for potentially dangerous operations
grep -r "os.system" ComfyUI/custom_nodes/extension-name/
grep -r "subprocess" ComfyUI/custom_nodes/extension-name/
grep -r "eval" ComfyUI/custom_nodes/extension-name/

Best Practices

Keep Updated

Regularly update extensions for bug fixes and features

Backup Workflows

Save workflows before installing new extensions

Test Separately

Test new extensions in isolation before using in production

Document Dependencies

Keep track of which workflows use which extensions

Version Control

Track your custom nodes with git:

cd ComfyUI/custom_nodes/
git init
git add .
git commit -m "Initial custom nodes setup"

This allows you to:

Revert problematic updates
Track which extensions you have
Share your setup with others

Advanced Topics

Shared Model Paths

Share models between ComfyUI and other UIs using extra_model_paths.yaml:

# Share with Stable Diffusion WebUI
stable_diffusion:
  base_path: /path/to/stable-diffusion-webui/
  checkpoints: models/Stable-diffusion/
  loras: models/Lora/
  
# Share with Automatic1111
automatic1111:
  base_path: /path/to/automatic1111/
  checkpoints: models/Stable-diffusion/

See the example config for details.

Custom Extension Development

To create your own extensions:

Creating Nodes

Learn to create custom nodes

Node API

Complete API reference

Next Steps

Manager Overview

Learn more about ComfyUI Manager

Best Practices

Best practices for using extensions

​Installation Methods

ComfyUI Manager

Manual Git Clone

comfy-cli

​Using ComfyUI Manager

​Setup

​Installing Nodes

​Manual Installation

​Prerequisites

​Installation Steps

​Example

​Using comfy-cli

​Installation

​Managing Extensions

​Managing Installed Extensions

​Updating Extensions

​Via Manager

​Via Git

​Disabling Extensions

​Removing Extensions

​Finding Extensions

​Official Sources

ComfyUI Manager

GitHub

​Popular Extensions

​Extension Structure

​Extension Configuration

​Model Paths

​Environment Variables

​Troubleshooting

​Extension Not Loading

​Import Errors

​Conflicting Extensions

​Performance Issues

​Security Considerations

​Safety Checklist

​Code Review

​Best Practices

Keep Updated

Backup Workflows

Test Separately

Document Dependencies

​Version Control

​Advanced Topics

​Shared Model Paths

​Custom Extension Development

Creating Nodes

Node API

​Next Steps

Manager Overview

Best Practices

Installation Methods

Using ComfyUI Manager

Setup

Installing Nodes

Manual Installation

Prerequisites

Installation Steps

Example

Using comfy-cli

Installation

Managing Extensions

Managing Installed Extensions

Updating Extensions

Via Manager

Via Git

Disabling Extensions

Removing Extensions

Finding Extensions

Official Sources

Popular Extensions

Extension Structure

Extension Configuration

Model Paths

Environment Variables

Troubleshooting

Extension Not Loading

Import Errors

Conflicting Extensions

Performance Issues

Security Considerations

Safety Checklist

Code Review

Best Practices

Version Control

Advanced Topics

Shared Model Paths

Custom Extension Development

Next Steps