So you downloaded a shiny new LoRA for Stable Diffusion. You dropped it into your folder. You refreshed the web UI. And… nothing. No LoRA in the list. No magic style. Just confusion. Don’t worry. You are not cursed. This guide will walk you through simple fixes to get your LoRA addons showing up and working like a charm.
TL;DR: If your LoRA is not showing, check the folder location, confirm the file type, and hit the refresh button in your UI. Make sure your Stable Diffusion version supports LoRA and that the model matches your base checkpoint. Restart the UI if needed. In most cases, the issue is just the wrong folder or missing refresh.
First, What Is a LoRA?
Before we fix the problem, let’s keep it simple.
A LoRA is a small addon file. It changes how your model behaves. It can add a style. A character. A pose. Even a tiny tweak like “anime eyes but shinier.”
The best part? LoRAs are lightweight. You don’t need to download huge models again and again.
But they only work if Stable Diffusion can see them.
1. Check the LoRA Folder (The #1 Mistake)
This is the most common issue. By far.
Your LoRA must go in the correct folder. Not “almost correct.” Not “close enough.” The exact folder.
For AUTOMATIC1111, the typical path is:
- stable-diffusion-webui/models/Lora
Notice the capital “L” in Lora. On some systems, that matters.
If you accidentally put it in:
- models/Stable-diffusion
- models/embeddings
- models/hypernetworks
…then it will not show up.
Move the file. Restart or refresh. Check again.
2. Confirm the File Type
LoRAs usually end in:
- .safetensors
- .pt
If your file is a .zip, that is your problem.
You need to extract it first.
Also check for this sneaky issue: double extensions.
Example:
- coolstyle.safetensors.zip
- animegirl.pt.txt
Windows sometimes hides file extensions. So what looks correct may not be.
Enable “Show file extensions” in your file explorer settings. Make sure the file truly ends in .safetensors or .pt only.
3. Hit the Refresh Button (Yes, Really)
This one is simple. And often ignored.
After adding a LoRA:
- Go to your LoRA selection panel
- Click the refresh icon
Stable Diffusion does not always auto-detect new files.
If refresh does not work, do a full restart of the web UI.
Close the terminal. Launch it again.
Sometimes that’s all it takes.
4. Check Your Stable Diffusion Version
Older versions of the web UI may not support LoRA properly.
If your install is ancient, update it.
- Open your webui folder
- Open terminal inside it
- Run: git pull
Restart after updating.
If you are using a different UI like ComfyUI, make sure the LoRA node is properly connected in your workflow.
No connection means no effect.
5. Make Sure the LoRA Matches Your Base Model
This part confuses many people.
LoRAs are often trained on a specific base model.
For example:
- SD 1.5 LoRA
- SDXL LoRA
If you load an SDXL LoRA while using an SD 1.5 checkpoint, it may not appear. Or it may load but do nothing.
Always check the LoRA description page. It usually says:
- “Trained on SD 1.5”
- “For SDXL only”
Match them correctly.
No match = no magic.
Image not found in postmeta6. Check for Broken or Corrupted Files
If your download was interrupted, the file may be damaged.
Signs of a corrupted LoRA:
- It does not show up
- You get console errors
- The UI freezes while loading
Solution?
Delete it. Download again from the original source.
Always download from trusted platforms.
7. Look at the Console for Errors
The terminal window is not just decoration.
When Stable Diffusion starts, it scans model folders.
If something goes wrong, it usually tells you there.
Look for lines that mention:
- LoRA
- Error loading
- Failed to read
Copy the error message. Search it online. Chances are someone else had the same problem.
8. Too Many LoRAs? That Can Be a Problem
Yes. You can have too many.
Hundreds of LoRAs in the folder can slow down scanning.
Sometimes they do not all load correctly.
If your list feels broken:
- Move some LoRAs into a backup folder
- Keep only a few inside the Lora folder
- Restart the UI
See if they appear now.
If that works, organize your collection.
Folders outside the main Lora directory are your friend.
9. Naming Issues Matter
Keep file names clean.
Avoid:
- Very long names
- Special symbols
- Strange characters
Example of safe naming:
- anime_style_v1.safetensors
Example of risky naming:
- !!!SUPER$ANIME#2025(versionFINAL).safetensors
Simple names reduce weird bugs.
10. Are You Actually Calling the LoRA?
Sometimes the LoRA shows in the list. But your image does not change.
You must activate it in your prompt.
In AUTOMATIC1111, that usually looks like:
<lora:loraname:1>
Breakdown:
- loraname = file name without extension
- 1 = weight strength
Try weights like:
- 0.6 (subtle)
- 0.8 (balanced)
- 1 (strong)
No tag in prompt? No effect.
Image not found in postmeta11. Extension Conflicts
Some extensions can interfere with LoRA loading.
If nothing else works:
- Disable recently installed extensions
- Restart Stable Diffusion
- Test again
If it starts working, you found the troublemaker.
12. SDXL Has Separate LoRA Sections
With SDXL, things can feel different.
There may be:
- Base model
- Refiner model
Make sure your LoRA is applied to the correct stage.
Check your settings carefully.
SDXL workflows can be more complex than SD 1.5.
Quick Checklist
If you want speed, run through this:
- Correct folder?
- Correct file type?
- Extracted from zip?
- UI refreshed?
- Web UI restarted?
- Model version matches?
- No console errors?
Most problems are solved within these steps.
Final Thoughts
LoRAs are amazing. They turn Stable Diffusion into a style machine. A character factory. A creative playground.
But when they do not show up, it feels frustrating.
Remember this:
- It is usually a folder issue.
- Or a version mismatch.
- Or you just forgot to refresh.
Stay calm. Check step by step.
Once your LoRA appears in that dropdown list, it feels like victory.
Now go generate something awesome.
And if it disappears again? You know exactly what to do.