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ComfyUI Custom Nodes Tutorial: Install and Manage Nodes with ComfyUI-Manager

Much of ComfyUI's power comes from community-developed custom nodes: preprocessors, upscaling tools, video processing, support for new models, and more. Workflows shared online often use them too.

ComfyUI-Manager

ComfyUI-Manager is a tool for managing custom nodes. You can use it to search for, install, update, and disable custom nodes, and to automatically find nodes missing from a workflow.

How to enable it

Desktop version: Built in.
Manual or portable version: Install Manager's dependencies first, then launch with this option:
```
pip install -r manager_requirements.txt
python main.py --enable-manager
```
For the portable version, add --enable-manager after the launch command in run_nvidia_gpu.bat, and install the dependencies using the Python bundled with the portable version.

(The way to enable Manager has changed across versions. Refer to the latest instructions in the ComfyUI README.)

After enabling it, a Manager button appears in the interface.

Install custom nodes

Open Manager → Custom Nodes Manager.
Search for a node by name, such as controlnet aux.
Click Install and choose a version.
When installation is complete, restart ComfyUI and refresh your browser.

Install nodes missing from a workflow

When you load a workflow shared by someone else, missing nodes appear in red and a prompt pops up.

Open Manager → Install Missing Custom Nodes.
Select the listed nodes and install them.
Restart ComfyUI.

Update and manage nodes

Update All: Updates ComfyUI and all custom nodes.
In Custom Nodes Manager, you can disable (Disable) or uninstall individual nodes.
If a custom node prevents ComfyUI from starting, disable it or move it out of the custom_nodes folder.

Install manually

Without Manager:

cd ComfyUI/custom_nodes
git clone https://github.com/author/node-repository.git
cd node-repository
pip install -r requirements.txt   # if this file exists

For the portable version, install using its bundled Python:

..\..\..\python_embeded\python.exe -m pip install -r requirements.txt

Restart ComfyUI to finish.

Popular custom nodes

Node	Use
comfyui_controlnet_aux	ControlNet preprocessors (line art, pose, depth)
ComfyUI Impact Pack	Detects faces and hands, then automatically fixes them (Detailer)
Ultimate SD Upscale	Tiled upscaling
ComfyUI-VideoHelperSuite	Loads and exports video
rgthree-comfy	Interface helpers: node group controls and clearer connections
ComfyUI-GGUF	Loads GGUF quantized models to save VRAM
ComfyUI-KJNodes	A large collection of useful utility nodes

Install only the nodes you actually need. Installing too many can slow startup and make conflicts more likely.

Security considerations

Custom nodes are Python programs that can run arbitrary code on your computer.

Install only well-known nodes with active maintainers and many stars.
Do not install nodes flagged as security risks in Manager.
Avoid installing obscure nodes required by workflows from unknown sources.
There have been cases of custom nodes containing malware. Before installing, check the author and community reviews.

Frequently asked questions

A node is still red after installation

Make sure you restarted ComfyUI and refreshed your browser.
Check the startup messages in the terminal and search for IMPORT FAILED. This usually means a missing Python package or a version conflict.

An error occurs after updating ComfyUI

After updating ComfyUI itself, some custom nodes may also need updates. Run Update All first. If the problem persists, check the node's GitHub page for related reports.

Updated October 12, 2026