You will see a black screw and two gold screws on the switch. Pick the diagram that is most like the scenario you are in and see if you can wire your switch.

Tiny House Electrical Understanding The 3 Way Switch
Wiring a three way switch with two wires. The following image shows a typical spdt toggle switch with its terminals. Wires consisting of a line a load a neutral a pair of travelers and two 3 way switches. Then a 4 wire cable going between the two 3 way switches and then a 3 wire cable going from the switches to the load. Remember the black wire that you wrapped around the traveler wires is the common. A 3 way switch will not have the words on or off written on it. Take your three way switch.
Each 3 way switch in these examples are controlling the power source to the same load. You should have three remaining wires in each box. Wiring a 3 way light switch. Its a lot harder to figure out which wires go where when theyre covered with drywall after wiring a switch. Many electricians use a code for marking wires and so can you. For wiring i have selected the standard way with a 37v lithium ion battery as the power supply.
The spdt toggle switch can be considered as a two way light switch as it has three terminals and works very similar to the two way light switch. If you are trying to troubleshoot a 3 way switch operation you will need to identify the function of each wire. Two black and one red. Strip all three wires with wire strippers. All three way switch and 2 way switch wiring diagrams have the same basic components. Before you start installing take a look at your new 3 way switch to identify all of the terminals that you will be connecting wires to.
A 3 wire nm connects the traveler terminals of the first and second 3 way switch together. Take a closer look at a 3 way switch wiring diagram. With a pair of 3 way switches either can make or break the connection that completes the circuit to the light. Wrap three way switch travelers loosely and wrap the common wire tightly around them for easy identification later. 3 way switch wiring diagram. With these diagrams below it will take the guess work out of wiring.
When wiring a 3 way switch circuit we will be using a 3 wire cable known as romex coming from the source such as the breaker box. The white neutral wires are connected together in each switch box. Wiring a 3 way light switch is certainly more complicated than that of the more common single pole switch but you can figure it out if you follow our 3 way switch wiring diagram. Traveler wires are interchangeable on each switch. Traveler wire terminals these are located on each side of the switch towards the top of the switch. The common terminal of the second 3 way switch connects to the light fixtures.
This might seem intimidating but it does not have to be. Replace any regular switches with the 3 way switches. Diagrams shown on this page are simplified for clarity.