Where to Put Safetensors in ComfyUI: Checkpoints, LoRA, VAE, and Flux Models

Most .safetensors files go somewhere under:

ComfyUI/models/

The exact folder depends on what kind of model you downloaded. If the file is in the wrong folder, ComfyUI may start normally but the model dropdown will be empty or the workflow will fail validation.

Quick Folder Map

After moving files, restart ComfyUI or refresh the model list from the relevant dropdown.

Checkpoints

Put standard Stable Diffusion or SDXL checkpoint files here:

ComfyUI/models/checkpoints/

Examples:

realvisxl.safetensors
dreamshaper.safetensors
sd_xl_base_1.0.safetensors

Use the Load Checkpoint node. If ckpt_name says the model is not in the list, confirm the file is in models/checkpoints/ and not in models/loras/ or models/diffusion_models/.

LoRA Files

Put LoRA files here:

ComfyUI/models/loras/

Use a Load LoRA node. A LoRA is not a full checkpoint. It needs a compatible base model.

If the LoRA was trained for SD 1.5, use it with an SD 1.5 checkpoint. If it was trained for SDXL, use it with an SDXL checkpoint.

VAE Files

Put VAE files here:

ComfyUI/models/vae/

Use Load VAE or the VAE slot in a workflow. A wrong VAE can cause color, decode, or model mismatch problems.

ControlNet Files

Put ControlNet files here:

ComfyUI/models/controlnet/

ControlNet files must match the model family. SD 1.5 ControlNet models are not interchangeable with SDXL ControlNet models.

Flux, UNet, and Diffusion Models

Many newer workflows, including Flux-style workflows, do not use a single checkpoint file in the old SD 1.5 pattern.

For standalone diffusion model files, use:

ComfyUI/models/diffusion_models/

Some older workflows or custom nodes may still refer to:

ComfyUI/models/unet/

ComfyUI maps legacy unet paths to diffusion_models, so both patterns can appear in guides and custom nodes.

GGUF Models

GGUF files are usually quantized model files for lower VRAM workflows. With ComfyUI-GGUF, Flux GGUF diffusion models commonly go in:

ComfyUI/models/diffusion_models/

Then use the GGUF loader node from the custom node.

If you searched for comfyui unet loader gguf or comfyui gguf loader, check both the model folder and whether the ComfyUI-GGUF custom node is installed.

Text Encoders and CLIP

Put text encoder files in:

ComfyUI/models/text_encoders/

Some workflows and older guides use:

ComfyUI/models/clip/

ComfyUI supports both locations for text encoders in current folder path configuration.

Why the Dropdown Is Still Empty

If the file is in the right folder but does not appear:

1. Check the extension. .safetensors is supported, but a partially downloaded file may not be.
2. Refresh the dropdown or restart ComfyUI.
3. Make sure the file is not inside a zip or browser download temp file.
4. Confirm you are editing the same ComfyUI folder you are running.
5. Check extra_model_paths.yaml if models live outside the ComfyUI folder.

Portable Package Example

For a portable install:

ComfyUI_windows_portable/
  ComfyUI/
    models/
      checkpoints/
      loras/
      vae/
      controlnet/
      diffusion_models/

If your launch .bat starts a different ComfyUI folder, the model will not show up. Always verify the folder shown in the running terminal or launcher settings.

How Wonderful Launcher Helps

Wonderful Launcher is useful when model placement is mixed with environment problems:

• preserve model folders before rebuilding ComfyUI
• keep stable and experimental model libraries separate
• avoid losing workflows while fixing missing custom nodes
• collect logs when model dropdowns or workflow validation fail

If the model file is correct but the workflow uses missing custom nodes, start with Install Custom Nodes.

Related Guides

• Download Models
• ComfyUI GGUF and model loading basics
• Install Custom Nodes
• ComfyUI Common Issues

Source References

• Official ComfyUI model troubleshooting
• Official ComfyUI models concept
• ComfyUI folder path source