When to Add a Graph to RAG: Design a Relationship-Question Pilot

Graph-based retrieval should be added to a RAG system only when important questions depend on explicit relationships that passage or vector retrieval cannot reliably provide, rather than as an effort to graph every document. A small, inspectable pilot should focus on relationship-driven questions such as service dependencies while also testing direct factual lookups to ensure the graph adds value without reducing existing performance. The pilot should define only necessary entity and relation types, retain source, timing, and access-control evidence for each edge, and validate extracted relationships for correct identifiers and direction. Query-time traversal should limit relation types, depth, and evidence returned, retrieve passages supporting selected paths, and enforce permissions across connected entities. Performance should be compared with the original retrieval method using measures such as path validity, answer support, latency, and maintenance effort, including tests for outdated or corrected information and questions that cannot be answered.

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