# Understanding relationship paths

A **relationship path** is Boomerang's way of showing you *who* in your company's extended network can open the door to a specific target contact — and *how well* they know that person.

## The anatomy of a path

When you expand the paths for any contact, you'll see an **Available Paths** table with four columns:

* **Connector** — the person in your network who has a relationship with the target.
* **Category** — how that connector is related to your organization (e.g., Advisor, Investor).
* **Strength** — how well the connector knows the target (Strong, Likely, or Long Shot).
* **Relationship Context** — the underlying signal that tells Rudy the relationship exists.

Each row is a single viable path. If you see three rows, there are three different people in your network who could introduce you to that target.

## Understanding Strength

Strength is Rudy's assessment of how well the connector knows the target contact. It drives which path is most likely to result in a successful introduction.

| Strength      | What it means                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
| ------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Strong**    | The connector has a clear, active relationship with the target — for example, they've worked together recently, met several times, or have a direct LinkedIn connection plus supporting signals. These are your best bets. |
| **Likely**    | There's solid evidence of a relationship, but it's either older, lighter, or based on fewer signals. Most intro requests through Likely paths still land — they're the bread and butter of the platform.                   |
| **Long Shot** | A relationship may exist, but the signal is weak — for example, they worked at the same company many years ago without clear overlap. Worth trying if no Strong or Likely paths exist, but set expectations accordingly.   |

{% hint style="info" %}
**Tip:** Strength is about *the connector's relationship with the target*, not about the connector themselves. A highly connected executive can still be a Long Shot for a specific target if the underlying relationship is weak.
{% endhint %}

## Understanding Category

Category describes how the connector relates to **your company**. This helps you understand the nature of the connector — and whether it's appropriate to ask them for an intro.

Common categories include:

* **Internal Team** — colleagues at your company.
* **Investor** — someone on your cap table or an investor at a fund that backs you.
* **Advisor** — a formal or informal advisor to your company.
* **Board Member** — a current or former member of your board.
* **Customer Champion** — a contact at an existing customer who is willing to make introductions on your behalf.

The categories available in your instance are configured by your admin. Knowing the category helps you gauge how warmly to phrase your ask — you'd approach your CEO differently than you would an investor or an external advisor.

## Understanding Relationship Context

Relationship Context tells you *why* Rudy believes the connector knows the target. This is the raw signal behind the path.

Examples of context signals you may see:

* **Work Overlap** — the connector and the target worked at the same company during overlapping dates, e.g., "Work Overlap: Dell Technologies (Jan 2016 – Jul 2021)".
* **LinkedIn Connection** — the connector has the target as a direct LinkedIn connection.
* **Meeting History** — the connector has had calendar meetings with the target.
* **Mutual Introductions** — the connector has previously introduced others to the target.

Context is useful for two reasons:

1. **It helps you pick the right path.** A recent work-overlap is a stronger basis for an intro than a decades-old one.
2. **It gives the connector a cue.** When you submit the request, the connector can see the same context — which makes it easier for them to recall the relationship and decide.

## Choosing between multiple paths

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

### Prefer higher strength when available

A Strong path will almost always outperform a Likely one, and a Likely will outperform a Long Shot — regardless of who the connector is.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Prefer more recent relationship context

A work overlap that ended two years ago is better than one that ended ten years ago.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Consider the connector's context

A current investor on your cap table has a different relationship with your company than a former advisor from five years ago. Both can be great — but think about which ask is more appropriate.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Respect load on your best connectors

Your CEO or a key investor should be reserved for the highest-value targets. For routine intros, a Likely path through a less-loaded connector is often the better choice.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### You always make the call

Boomerang shows you the available paths and their strength, but *you* pick which connector to route your request through. When in doubt, lean toward the strongest path from a connector whose relationship with your company is well-suited to the ask.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Why some accounts have no paths — or fewer than you expect

Paths depend entirely on the relationship data in your Boomerang instance. If an account shows no paths, or fewer than you expect, the usual reasons are:

* **Super Connectors still onboarding.** If the people with the relevant networks haven't connected their LinkedIn or calendar yet, Rudy can't see their connections.
* **Narrow network coverage.** If the target account is outside the industries, geographies, or communities your network focuses on, there may genuinely be no paths.
* **Former employees hidden.** The "Hide former employees" filter is on by default. Toggling it off can surface additional paths through people who've left the target company.

## Filters that shape what you see

The filter row above the contacts table lets you focus on the paths most relevant to you:

* **Prospect filters** — Seniority, Department, Prospect Country. Use these to narrow to the roles you actually care about (e.g., only VP+, only in North America).
* **Path filters** — Strength, Signals, Connectors. Use these to only show paths at or above a certain strength, or paths through specific connectors.
* **Hide former employees** — on by default; hides target contacts who have left the target company.


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