Anatomy of a Three-Way Switch

A three-way switch has four different screws on its body. The green screw is always for the ground wire (this is the bare copper wire). Now you’ll notice three other screws on the switch. The two brass colored screws across from each other are called the traveler screws. These carry the power from one switch to the other. The last screw will be a darker color, usually dark brass, copper or black. This is where you will connect the hot wire on one switch and the black wire to feed the light on the other switch.