Choosing a model file
A loader node (Load Checkpoint, Load LoRA, Load VAE and others) has a field that names a file, for example ckpt_name or lora_name. The list of that field shows the files in the matching ComfyUI folder, and next to each a mark that says whether it fits the rest of your graph. "Fits" here means: made for the same model family. A LoRA made for SDXL does not work with a Flux checkpoint. See Model families.
How to choose
- Click the field of the loader. The list opens; while it reads your files it says "Looking at your files…".
- At the top it names what it compares with: "Compared with juggernautXL.safetensors (SDXL)", the checkpoint upstream in your graph.
- Each file has a mark:
| Mark | Meaning |
|---|---|
| fits | made for the same family |
| loads, but made for SDXL | a related family: ComfyUI loads it, but the result may be poor |
| family differs: Flux.1 ≠ SDXL | a different family: it will not work as meant |
| family unknown | neither the file nor its name says the family |
- Pick one. Find in the list narrows a long list.
When there is nothing to compare with: "Connect a checkpoint upstream and the list shows which files fit it." (for a LoRA) or "Connect a LoRA downstream and the list shows which checkpoints fit it." (for a checkpoint).
Other ways
- In the library Models tab, open a file's card and press Add to canvas (a new loader with the file) or Put into the selected node (the selected loader takes the file). See The model card.
- A LoRA card lists "Your base models it fits:"; a checkpoint card says how many of your LoRAs fit it and Show them in the list.
Where the family comes from
From the header of the file, from the description that lies next to it (written by tools such as a Civitai helper), from the internet if you asked (Find on the internet), or a guess from the file name. Until sync has read the header, it is a guess.
What can go wrong
- "There are no files in this list." Your ComfyUI has no files in that folder. The app never downloads; put the file in ComfyUI's folder and sync.
- "Models from different families" in the check: two models in one chain are of different families. See Checking a graph.