docs: add staging environment setup instructions to CONTRIBUTING.md

Document how to test partner/API nodes that require cloud backend
authentication. Add two approaches:
- Frontend: pnpm dev:cloud or custom DEV_SERVER_COMFYUI_URL
- Backend: --comfy-api-base flag for staging API

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -62,6 +62,37 @@ python main.py --port 8188 --cpu
 - Run `pnpm dev:electron` to start the dev server with electron API mocked
 - Run `pnpm dev:cloud` to start the dev server against the cloud backend (instead of local ComfyUI server)
 
+#### Testing with Cloud & Staging Environments
+
+Some features — particularly **partner/API nodes** (e.g. BFL, OpenAI, Stability AI) — require a cloud backend for authentication and billing. Running these against a local ComfyUI instance will result in permission errors or logged-out states. There are two ways to connect to a cloud/staging backend:
+
+**Option 1: Frontend — `pnpm dev:cloud`**
+
+The simplest approach. This proxies all API requests to the test cloud environment:
+
+```bash
+pnpm dev:cloud
+```
+
+This sets `DEV_SERVER_COMFYUI_URL` to `https://testcloud.comfy.org/` automatically. You can also set this variable manually in your `.env` file to target a different environment:
+
+```bash
+# .env
+DEV_SERVER_COMFYUI_URL=https://stagingcloud.comfy.org/
+```
+
+Any `*.comfy.org` URL automatically enables cloud mode, which includes the GCS media proxy needed for viewing generated images and videos. See [.env_example](.env_example) for all available cloud URLs.
+
+**Option 2: Backend — `--comfy-api-base`**
+
+Alternatively, launch the ComfyUI backend pointed at the staging API:
+
+```bash
+python main.py --comfy-api-base https://stagingapi.comfy.org --verbose
+```
+
+Then run `pnpm dev` as usual. This keeps the frontend in local mode but routes backend API calls through staging.
+
 #### Access dev server on touch devices
 
 Enable remote access to the dev server by setting `VITE_REMOTE_DEV` in `.env` to `true`.

browser_tests/fixtures/ComfyPage.ts

@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ import { FeatureFlagHelper } from '@e2e/fixtures/helpers/FeatureFlagHelper'
 import { KeyboardHelper } from '@e2e/fixtures/helpers/KeyboardHelper'
 import { NodeOperationsHelper } from '@e2e/fixtures/helpers/NodeOperationsHelper'
 import { PerformanceHelper } from '@e2e/fixtures/helpers/PerformanceHelper'
-import { QueueHelper } from '@e2e/fixtures/helpers/QueueHelper'
 import { SettingsHelper } from '@e2e/fixtures/helpers/SettingsHelper'
 import { SubgraphHelper } from '@e2e/fixtures/helpers/SubgraphHelper'
 import { ToastHelper } from '@e2e/fixtures/helpers/ToastHelper'
@@ -200,7 +199,6 @@ export class ComfyPage {
   public readonly queuePanel: QueuePanel
   public readonly perf: PerformanceHelper
   public readonly assets: AssetsHelper
-  public readonly queue: QueueHelper
 
   /** Worker index to test user ID */
   public readonly userIds: string[] = []
@@ -248,7 +246,6 @@ export class ComfyPage {
     this.queuePanel = new QueuePanel(page)
     this.perf = new PerformanceHelper(page)
     this.assets = new AssetsHelper(page)
-    this.queue = new QueueHelper(page)
   }
 
   get visibleToasts() {

browser_tests/fixtures/helpers/QueueHelper.ts

@@ -1,79 +0,0 @@
-import type { Page, Route } from '@playwright/test'
-
-export class QueueHelper {
-  private queueRouteHandler: ((route: Route) => void) | null = null
-  private historyRouteHandler: ((route: Route) => void) | null = null
-
-  constructor(private readonly page: Page) {}
-
-  /**
-   * Mock the /api/queue endpoint to return specific queue state.
-   */
-  async mockQueueState(
-    running: number = 0,
-    pending: number = 0
-  ): Promise<void> {
-    this.queueRouteHandler = (route: Route) =>
-      route.fulfill({
-        status: 200,
-        contentType: 'application/json',
-        body: JSON.stringify({
-          queue_running: Array.from({ length: running }, (_, i) => [
-            i,
-            `running-${i}`,
-            {},
-            {},
-            []
-          ]),
-          queue_pending: Array.from({ length: pending }, (_, i) => [
-            i,
-            `pending-${i}`,
-            {},
-            {},
-            []
-          ])
-        })
-      })
-    await this.page.route('**/api/queue', this.queueRouteHandler)
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * Mock the /api/history endpoint with completed/failed job entries.
-   */
-  async mockHistory(
-    jobs: Array<{ promptId: string; status: 'success' | 'error' }>
-  ): Promise<void> {
-    const history: Record<string, unknown> = {}
-    for (const job of jobs) {
-      history[job.promptId] = {
-        prompt: [0, job.promptId, {}, {}, []],
-        outputs: {},
-        status: {
-          status_str: job.status === 'success' ? 'success' : 'error',
-          completed: true
-        }
-      }
-    }
-    this.historyRouteHandler = (route: Route) =>
-      route.fulfill({
-        status: 200,
-        contentType: 'application/json',
-        body: JSON.stringify(history)
-      })
-    await this.page.route('**/api/history**', this.historyRouteHandler)
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * Clear all route mocks set by this helper.
-   */
-  async clearMocks(): Promise<void> {
-    if (this.queueRouteHandler) {
-      await this.page.unroute('**/api/queue', this.queueRouteHandler)
-      this.queueRouteHandler = null
-    }
-    if (this.historyRouteHandler) {
-      await this.page.unroute('**/api/history**', this.historyRouteHandler)
-      this.historyRouteHandler = null
-    }
-  }
-}