diff --git a/src/plugins_exts/metadata.h b/src/plugins_exts/metadata.h
index f9dbd12..6387e1f 100644
--- a/src/plugins_exts/metadata.h
+++ b/src/plugins_exts/metadata.h
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 /**
  * @file metadata.h
  * @author Radek Krejci <rkrejci@cesnet.cz>
+ * @author Michal Vasko <mvasko@cesnet.cz>
  * @brief ietf-yang-metadata API
  *
- * Copyright (c) 2019 CESNET, z.s.p.o.
+ * Copyright (c) 2019 - 2022 CESNET, z.s.p.o.
  *
  * This source code is licensed under BSD 3-Clause License (the "License").
  * You may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -15,6 +16,9 @@
 #ifndef LY_PLUGINS_EXTS_METADATA_H_
 #define LY_PLUGINS_EXTS_METADATA_H_
 
+#include "plugins_exts.h"
+#include "tree_data.h"
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C" {
 #endif
@@ -26,6 +30,42 @@
 #define ANNOTATION_SUBSTMT_DSC     4 /**< index for the LY_STMT_DSC substatement in annotation's ::lysc_ext_instance.substmts */
 #define ANNOTATION_SUBSTMT_REF     5 /**< index for the LY_STMT_REF substatement in annotation's ::lysc_ext_instance.substmts */
 
+/**
+ * @brief Metadata structure.
+ *
+ * The structure provides information about metadata of a data element. Such attributes must map to
+ * annotations as specified in RFC 7952. The only exception is the filter type (in NETCONF get operations)
+ * and edit-config's operation attributes. In XML, they are represented as standard XML attributes. In JSON,
+ * they are represented as JSON elements starting with the '@' character (for more information, see the
+ * YANG metadata RFC.
+ *
+ */
+struct lyd_meta {
+    struct lyd_node *parent;         /**< data node where the metadata is placed */
+    struct lyd_meta *next;           /**< pointer to the next metadata of the same element */
+    struct lysc_ext_instance *annotation; /**< pointer to the annotation's definition */
+    const char *name;                /**< metadata name */
+    struct lyd_value value;          /**< metadata value representation */
+};
+
+/**
+ * @brief Get the (canonical) value of a metadata node.
+ *
+ * @param[in] meta Metadata node to use.
+ * @return Canonical value.
+ */
+static inline const char *
+lyd_get_meta_value(const struct lyd_meta *meta)
+{
+    if (meta) {
+        const struct lyd_value *value = &meta->value;
+
+        return value->_canonical ? value->_canonical : lyd_value_get_canonical(meta->annotation->module->ctx, value);
+    }
+
+    return NULL;
+}
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif