Model Basics

How to Download Civitai Models for ComfyUI

Check model type, base model, license, and destination folder before downloading Civitai checkpoints, LoRA, VAE, or ControlNet files.

Beginner12 minUpdated 2026-05-18
English diagram showing where ComfyUI model files should be placed
diagram English visual prepared for this guide family.
Reliable tutorial format: each page starts with the fastest working path, then adds checkpoints, common mistakes, success criteria, and related next steps.

Quick answer

How to Download Civitai Models for ComfyUI should be tested with a small, known-good workflow before you add extra models, nodes, or high-resolution settings.

Recommended workflow

  1. 01

    How to Download Civitai Models for ComfyUI should be tested with a small, known-good workflow before you add extra models, nodes, or high-resolution settings.

  2. 02

    Identify the model type before moving the file. A .safetensors file can still be a checkpoint, LoRA, VAE, ControlNet, or another model type.

  3. 03

    Match each model to the correct ComfyUI folder and to the same base model family used by the workflow.

  4. 04

    Restart ComfyUI or refresh the model list after moving files, then select an installed local model from the node dropdown.

  5. 05

    If a workflow names a file you do not have, choose a compatible local equivalent instead of renaming random files blindly.

  6. 06

    Keep a clean recovery point so you can return to the last working setup if a plugin, model, or dependency change breaks ComfyUI.

Check before you run

  • Identify the asset type first: checkpoint, LoRA, VAE, ControlNet, CLIP Vision, or upscale model.
  • Move the file to the matching ComfyUI/models subfolder.
  • Restart or refresh the model list before judging the dropdown.

Common mistakes

  • Renaming files to match a workflow instead of selecting a compatible local model.
  • Putting LoRA files into checkpoints or VAE files into loras.
  • Mixing SD1.5, SDXL, and Flux assets without checking compatibility.

Success standard

  • ComfyUI restarts without a new terminal traceback.
  • The workflow can be queued once without missing nodes or empty model dropdowns.
  • The result can be reproduced after refreshing the browser page.

What to do next

  • Increase image size only after the small test workflow is stable.
  • Add one plugin or model family at a time.
  • Return to the English guide library if the next error belongs to another category.

Need more context?

This English guide gives the direct working path first. The paired Chinese reference can provide extra screenshots, local download notes, and longer troubleshooting branches for the same topic.

Open the paired reference