Follow the path

I don't remember this, but what you could do if you have a specific case where they walk off the path, use a very low fence along a part of the path. If you got Get Famous there is a fence that looks like a solid line, it means it is not standing up at all. It's used in Plumbob Studios to stop sims walking too close to technical equipment and such, and comes in several colors. If you don't have GF, there is a low garden fence that might work, too.

how do you make the path then that your sims follow? There is no such tool in the game for path making. The only way is the fence.

I usually use terrain paint for paths and my sims never follow them but I noticed in one build I used flooring and they are following that path to the front door.

Terrain paint is just paint though... It's like if you choose a black doorframe swatch and expect sims to choose that door over the one with white doorframe. It doesn't do anything.