In one embodiment, a controller for a network receives, via a user interface, a downgrade policy for the network that specifies an objective for path downgrades in the network. The controller identifies traffic of an application conveyed by an edge router in the network via a particular path in the network and using a first type of link. The controller predicts an effect of downgrading the particular path from using the first type of link to using a second type of link to convey the traffic of the application. The controller causes the edge router to convey the traffic of the application via the second type of link, when the effect predicted by the controller satisfies the objective specified by the downgrade policy.