Multiple sources of anticipated degradation and process impurities of raltegravir potassium drug substance observed during the laboratory optimization and later during its bulk synthesis are described in this article. The impurities were monitored by UPLC, and their structures are tentatively assigned on the basis of fragmentation patterns in LC–MS and NMR spectroscopy. Most of the impurities are synthesized, and their assigned constitutions were confirmed by co-injection in UPLC. In addition to the formation, synthesis, and characterization, strategy for minimizing these impurities to the level accepted by ICH is also described. We feel that our study will be helpful to the generic industry for obtaining chemically pure raltegravir potassium.