Overview
ComfyUI Manager is installed as a custom node. In the Windows portable folder, the user opens the custom_nodes directory, opens a command prompt in that location, and clones the Manager repository. Git must already be installed for that command to work. The Git installation shown uses the default options throughout.
After Manager is placed in custom_nodes, ComfyUI is restarted. The startup process detects the new extension and installs its dependencies. A Manager button then appears in the interface.
The principal Manager functions used in the workflows are:
Custom Nodes Manager: Searches for and installs node packages such as Image Chooser, Ultimate SD Upscale, ArtVenture, and InstantID support.
Model Manager: Searches for and installs additional model files such as upscalers, ControlNet Union, and InstantID assets.
Install Missing Custom Nodes: Helps repair an imported workflow that references nodes or dependencies not present on the local computer.
Update ComfyUI / Update All: Updates the application or installed extensions.
Installing an item is not always the final step. Model installations generally require the interface's Refresh control before the new model appears. Custom-node installations commonly require a full ComfyUI restart. Some nodes trigger additional dependency downloads during that restart.
Advanced integrations may still require manual file placement. InstantID, for example, uses Manager for the node package and two major model files, but the AntelopeV2 InsightFace model is manually extracted into a specific nested directory. Manager reduces installation work; it does not eliminate the need to read and follow a node's model requirements.