Constantly and permanent loss of open and saved workflows

[TsengSR]

Custom Node Testing

• [x] I have tried disabling custom nodes and the issue persists (see how to disable custom nodes if you need help)

Expected Behavior

The saved workflows to be persisted across custom nodes update/installation

Actual Behavior

For the 3rd time I've lost all my saved workflows in ComfyUI after updating/installing new custom nodes and the consequent UI reload after restart, losing multiple hours of work every time.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Create a new workflow
2. Save it
3. Add/Update custom nodes
4. Restart Server
5. Confirm the reload of the UI

more often than not, the saved workflow will be gone and and old generic workflow will be there and the old ones (even when multiple tabs are open) are no where to be seen again.

Debug Logs

-

Other

This is a show-stopper for developing new workflow, as one can't be expected to export workflows every 2 minutes. At least the old UI from years ago would on save always offer you a download and no other option to save.

[christian-byrne]

Sorry that this is happening. To help me fix it, could you define what you mean precisely by "losing a workflow"? Do you mean the save file is deleted on disk and you can't open the workflow using the workflow sidebar drawer? Or do you mean that the tab is closed after reloading the session?

On the next update, we have changed the tabs to restore across sessions properly. Previously, they would not be restored if there were any unsaved changes when you ended a session.

[TsengSR]

@christian-byrne When you use the "save/save as" menu entries, it seems to save the workflow in the browsers local storage and usually persists there for days, when working with comfyui or closing the browser and reopening next day when starting comfyui/browser again.

After an updating or installing new custom nodes, the UI requests the server to be restarted. And once its up again, it asks to refresh the UI. Confirming it, one also gets the "Do you want to leave this website" dialog from the browser. After that, in 1 out of 3 times, the workflows opened in the tabs are gone and lost, unless priorly exported (which triggers the download of the workflow).

[cooperdk]

This happens for me, too. Also, it is impossible for me to close a workflow if it has an error/missing node. I have no idea if this happens due to any of the 100+ node packs I have installed.

[pixelpainter]

is happening all the time when the browser window is refreshed after most recent update

[nrk666]

Came here for exactly this issue.

I am using portable on linux up to date as of today, 11-12-2025. I have verified that all filesystem permissions are correct. I have also removed all custom nodes, issue persists.

I have cleared all local cookies. I even added localhost:8188 to the "allowed to save cookies" list in chrome just in case. I have cleared my Chrome storage area where the comfy.variables are (such as current workflow) with no luck, same issue. I have tried Firefox, same issue. I have tried brave (which I had never used so impossible to have a corrupt cache) same issue.

I've noticed this happening over the last few days after one of the more recent updates for sure the last two, possibly three updates not including this most recent update. I'm not 100% sure because I just don't know what update I was on when.

I've found that the workflows are not deleted except in certain cases.

Cases where the workflow is not lost but still can be if you aren't careful (100% reproducible):

1. Open three or four workflows and an empty one for good measure. Remember their WF names.
2. Do a browser refresh.
3. All if your previously opened WF are now gone with one WF open with one of the names of your workflows but contains the default workflow. If you save that you overwrote your WF so if you have autosave on prepare to have a bad day.
4. If you go back into the WF menu you should be able to load the original WF minus any changes from the last time you saved.

The workflows in progress but not already on disk are not saved to whatever mechanism is/was responsible for doing that during a refresh. Chatgpt tried to blame it on Chrome 128+ but the problem exists on Firefox as well so chatgpt is wrong.

Cases where workflows changes can be lost:

This issue is similar to the one above but this one has been happening for weeks if not months and usually but not 100% reproduceable:

1. Open a WF.
2. Save-As that WF.
3. Modify the "saved-as" copy. Do not close original.
4. Do browser refresh
5. Original workflow now both workflows. So the original workflow persists but the saved-as "in progress" copy does not.

Yes I'm aware the on disk copy of the original when "saved as" is the same workflow content, the contrast I am aiming to describe is that that any changes made to the "saved as" WF are lost and that WF reverts back to the original which is a slightly different behavior as both workflows are "still open" in the browser instead of closed like in the first issue.

I hope that helps you solve this, I've been burned a couple times now.