diff --git a/packages/jupyterlab-collaborative-chat/src/ychat.ts b/packages/jupyterlab-collaborative-chat/src/ychat.ts
index 1ae101d7..3b7e2a4f 100644
--- a/packages/jupyterlab-collaborative-chat/src/ychat.ts
+++ b/packages/jupyterlab-collaborative-chat/src/ychat.ts
@@ -137,6 +137,16 @@ export class YChat extends YDocument<IChatChanges> {
     });
   }
 
+  getMetadata(key: string): IMetadata | undefined {
+    return this._metadata.get(key);
+  }
+
+  setMetadata(key: string, value: PartialJSONValue) {
+    this.transact(() => {
+      this._metadata.set(key, value);
+    });
+  }
+
   private _usersObserver = (event: Y.YMapEvent<IUser>): void => {
     const userChange = new Array<UserChange>();
     event.keysChanged.forEach(key => {
diff --git a/python/jupyterlab-collaborative-chat/jupyterlab_collaborative_chat/ychat.py b/python/jupyterlab-collaborative-chat/jupyterlab_collaborative_chat/ychat.py
index b3cdc172..2d60f09f 100644
--- a/python/jupyterlab-collaborative-chat/jupyterlab_collaborative_chat/ychat.py
+++ b/python/jupyterlab-collaborative-chat/jupyterlab_collaborative_chat/ychat.py
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ def get_metadata(self) -> dict[str, dict]:
         """
         return self._ymetadata.to_py()
 
-    def set_metadata(self, name: str, metadata: dict):
+    def set_metadata(self, name: str, metadata: Any):
         """
         Adds or modifies a metadata of the document.
         """