ComfyUI Model Path Not Detected: Fix extra_model_paths.yaml

Use this page when the model file exists on disk but the running ComfyUI process is not scanning the folder that contains it: extra_model_paths.yaml not loading models, an empty model dropdown, or path does not exist create containing directory first. This is a configuration issue, not a package issue — do not install Python packages to fix a missing model dropdown.

Triage

If the workflow still has missing custom nodes, fix those first — a missing node can hide the later missing-model error because the loader never registers. If the file exists but the dropdown is empty for a different reason, use cannot find model.

How ComfyUI finds models

ComfyUI checks two places at startup:

1. Default folder: ComfyUI/models/<type>/ (e.g., ComfyUI/models/checkpoints/)
2. Extra paths: folders listed in ComfyUI/extra_model_paths.yaml

If neither contains the model, the dropdown is empty.

Step 1: Verify the default model folder

dir ComfyUI\models\checkpoints\
dir ComfyUI\models\loras\

If your model file is listed, the path is not the problem — restart ComfyUI and check again.

Step 2: Check extra_model_paths.yaml

If you use external folders, open ComfyUI/extra_model_paths.yaml. In a normal checkout, start by copying or renaming extra_model_paths.yaml.example.

Correct format:

my_models:
    base_path: D:/AI/models
    checkpoints: checkpoints/
    loras: loras/
    vae: vae/

Common mistakes:

# WRONG: Using tabs instead of spaces
my_models:
	base_path: D:/AI/models    # Tab character — YAML requires spaces

# WRONG: Missing trailing slash or wrong separator
my_models:
    base_path: D:\AI\models    # Backslashes can cause issues
    checkpoints: checkpoints   # Missing trailing slash (may work but inconsistent)

# WRONG: Path does not exist
my_models:
    base_path: E:/Models       # Drive E: not mounted or folder does not exist

YAML is strict: use spaces not tabs (2 or 4), use forward slashes on Windows (D:/AI/models), quote paths with spaces (base_path: "D:/My Models/AI"), and no trailing spaces after values.

Step 3: Test the path manually

dir "D:\AI\models\checkpoints\"

If this shows your model files, the path is correct. If not, fix the folder structure.

Step 4: Restart ComfyUI

ComfyUI only reads model paths at startup. After changing extra_model_paths.yaml or adding files, restart and watch the log for YAML parsing errors and lines mentioning your external path:

.\python_embeded\python.exe -s ComfyUI\main.py --windows-standalone-build

If you keep the config elsewhere, launch with the same --extra-model-paths-config every time, but a single root-level extra_model_paths.yaml is easier to verify.

Subfolder mapping reference

The YAML keys must match ComfyUI's expected model type names:

Verify

Before deciding the path is fixed, confirm all four:

1. A file under the default ComfyUI/models/ folder appears after restart.
2. A file under the external folder from extra_model_paths.yaml appears after restart.
3. The active ComfyUI folder is the same folder where you edited extra_model_paths.yaml.
4. The loader node matches the model type (checkpoint loader for checkpoints, LoRA loader for LoRAs, and so on).

Related errors

• ComfyUI Cannot Find Model File
• Where ComfyUI Stores Checkpoints
• Where to Put Safetensors in ComfyUI
• Install Models in ComfyUI
• ComfyUI Workflow Missing Nodes

Source References

• ComfyUI GitHub
• Official ComfyUI model troubleshooting
• ComfyUI extra_model_paths.yaml.example
• YAML Specification