Custom Nodes

Custom nodes are community-built plugins that add new functionality to ComfyUI — from face restoration to video generation to advanced upscaling.

Installing Custom Nodes

Method 1: ComfyUI Manager (Recommended)

ComfyUI Manager is a plugin that lets you browse, install, and update custom nodes directly from the ComfyUI interface.

Install ComfyUI Manager:

1. Open a terminal in your ComfyUI/custom_nodes/ folder
2. Run:

git clone https://github.com/ltdrdata/ComfyUI-Manager.git

1. Restart ComfyUI

Once installed, click the Manager button in the ComfyUI toolbar to:

• Browse available custom nodes
• Install nodes with one click
• Update installed nodes
• Install missing nodes from imported workflows

Method 2: Manual Git Clone

1. Open a terminal in ComfyUI/custom_nodes/
2. Clone the node repository:

cd ComfyUI/custom_nodes
git clone https://github.com/[author]/[node-name].git

1. Install dependencies (if the node has a requirements.txt):

cd [node-name]
pip install -r requirements.txt

1. Restart ComfyUI

Method 3: Copy Files

Some simple nodes are just a single .py file. Copy it directly into custom_nodes/:

ComfyUI/
└── custom_nodes/
    └── my_node.py

Restart ComfyUI to load it.

Popular Custom Nodes

Node	What It Does
ComfyUI-Manager	Browse and install other custom nodes
ComfyUI-GGUF	Load quantized GGUF models for lower VRAM usage
ComfyUI-Impact-Pack	Face detection, segmentation, detailing
ComfyUI-AnimateDiff	Animate images into short videos
ComfyUI-IPAdapter	Use reference images to guide generation style
ComfyUI-ControlNet	Advanced ControlNet support (pose, depth, canny)
ComfyUI-VideoHelperSuite	Load, preview, and save video files
ComfyUI-KJNodes	Collection of useful utility nodes
rgthree-comfy	Workflow organization and quality-of-life nodes
efficiency-nodes-comfyui	Batch processing and workflow efficiency tools

Fixing "Red Nodes"

Red nodes in a workflow mean ComfyUI can't find the required custom node. This usually happens when you import a workflow that uses nodes you haven't installed.

With ComfyUI Manager:

1. Click the Manager button
2. Click Install Missing Custom Nodes
3. The manager will identify and install what's needed
4. Restart ComfyUI

Without Manager:

1. Read the node name shown on the red node
2. Search for it on GitHub
3. Install manually via git clone

Updating Custom Nodes

With ComfyUI Manager: Click Manager → Update All

Manually:

cd ComfyUI/custom_nodes/[node-name]
git pull
pip install -r requirements.txt  # if exists

Restart ComfyUI after updating.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
Red nodes after importing a workflow	Install missing nodes via Manager or manually
Node installed but not showing up	Restart ComfyUI. Check the console for import errors
ModuleNotFoundError on startup	The node needs additional Python packages. Run pip install -r requirements.txt in the node's folder
Node conflicts / crashes	Some nodes are incompatible with each other. Disable by renaming the folder (e.g., add .disabled). See Dependency Conflicts
Manager won't install	Check your internet connection. Some networks block GitHub

Going Deeper

For advanced plugin management — node mapping, repo migrations, batch installation, and Git LFS issues — see the Plugin Management guide. If you're setting up a complex multi-workflow environment, see Workflow Environment Setup.

For systematic error diagnosis, use the Troubleshooting Decision Tree.