Support pasting nodes when switching workflow tabs; currently, you need one more click to activate the canvas

[comfyui-wiki]

Support pasting nodes even when users haven't clicked on the canvas.

Feature details

Currently, users need to click on the canvas once when pasting nodes to a new workflow.

Screen.Recording.2025-09-29.at.11.24.07.mov

If users don't click on the canvas, users can't paste the nodes. This feature request is to make it work too.

Screen.Recording.2025-09-29.at.11.21.57.mov

Problem want to solved:

Found some users have trouble using the paste feature. Some of them don't know they need one more click to activate the canvas to paste the node.
Related issues:

• Copy Paste Broken across workflows comfyanonymous/ComfyUI#8481
• Copy and paste node isn't working. #5683

┆Issue is synchronized with this Notion page by Unito

[Shyryp]

There's another issue along with the current one:
#5683 (comment)

For some reason, copying from a saved workflow to an unsaved workflow doesn't work when using CTRL+V.
Pasting only works when pressing CTRL+SHIFT+V.

[christian-byrne]

@comfyui-wiki Does this still happen on main? I tried to reproduce - the canvas loses focus if you click empty space on the menubar but just switching tabs or going to a new tab doesn't drop the focus and the pasting still seems to work. If there's some way to reproduce, then I can include it in #6055

[comfyui-wiki]

@christian-byrne Yes it still happen on main

Here are the steps to reproduce:

1. Open a workflow, then create any new tabs.
2. Copy the nodes in a workflow, then activate any new tabs without clicking the canvas.
3. Try to paste.

Built-in.Retina.Display.mp4

Pay attention to the keyboard shortcuts in my screen recording.