diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b83d2226
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index aa10332e..74d63750 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -7,6 +7,18 @@
     <groupId>org.example</groupId>
     <artifactId>push-api-client.java</artifactId>
     <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <dependencies>
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>com.google.code.gson</groupId>
+            <artifactId>gson</artifactId>
+            <version>2.8.7</version>
+        </dependency>
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>joda-time</groupId>
+            <artifactId>joda-time</artifactId>
+            <version>2.10.10</version>
+        </dependency>
+    </dependencies>
 
     <properties>
         <maven.compiler.source>16</maven.compiler.source>
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/coveo/pushapiclient/Document.java b/src/main/java/com/coveo/pushapiclient/Document.java
index f04b1891..fa27bbf7 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/coveo/pushapiclient/Document.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/coveo/pushapiclient/Document.java
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ public class Document {
      * <p>
      * See https://docs.coveo.com/en/115 for more information.
      */
-    public Map<String, String> metadata;
+    public Map<String, Object> metadata;
     /**
      * The list of permission sets for this item.
      * <p>
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/coveo/pushapiclient/DocumentBuilder.java b/src/main/java/com/coveo/pushapiclient/DocumentBuilder.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..80a83399
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/com/coveo/pushapiclient/DocumentBuilder.java
@@ -0,0 +1,155 @@
+package com.coveo.pushapiclient;
+
+import com.google.gson.Gson;
+import org.joda.time.DateTime;
+import org.joda.time.format.ISODateTimeFormat;
+
+import java.util.Date;
+import java.util.Map;
+
+public class DocumentBuilder {
+    private Document document;
+
+    public DocumentBuilder(String uri, String title) {
+        this.document = new Document();
+        this.document.uri = uri;
+        this.document.title = title;
+    }
+
+    public DocumentBuilder withData(String data) {
+        this.document.data = data;
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    public DocumentBuilder withDate(String date) {
+        DateTime dt = DateTime.parse(date);
+        this.document.date = this.dateFormat(dt);
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    public DocumentBuilder withDate(Long date) {
+        DateTime dt = new DateTime(date);
+        this.document.date = this.dateFormat(dt);
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    public DocumentBuilder withDate(Date date) {
+        DateTime dt = new DateTime(date);
+        this.document.date = this.dateFormat(dt);
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    public DocumentBuilder withDate(DateTime date) {
+        this.document.date = this.dateFormat(date);
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    public DocumentBuilder withModifiedDate(String date) {
+        DateTime dt = DateTime.parse(date);
+        this.document.modifiedDate = this.dateFormat(dt);
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    public DocumentBuilder withModifiedDate(Long date) {
+        DateTime dt = new DateTime(date);
+        this.document.modifiedDate = this.dateFormat(dt);
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    public DocumentBuilder withModifiedDate(DateTime date) {
+        this.document.modifiedDate = this.dateFormat(date);
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    public DocumentBuilder withPermanentId(String permanentId) {
+        this.document.permanentId = permanentId;
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    public DocumentBuilder withCompressedBinaryData(CompressedBinaryData compressedBinaryData) {
+        this.validateCompressedBinaryData(compressedBinaryData.data);
+        this.document.compressedBinaryData = compressedBinaryData;
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    public DocumentBuilder withFileExtension(String fileExtension) {
+        this.validateFileExtension(fileExtension);
+        this.document.fileExtension = fileExtension;
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    public DocumentBuilder withParentID(String parentID) {
+        this.document.parentId = parentID;
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    public DocumentBuilder withClickableUri(String clickableUri) {
+        this.document.clickableUri = clickableUri;
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    public DocumentBuilder withAuthor(String author) {
+        this.document.author = author;
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    public DocumentBuilder withMetadataValue(String key, String metadataValue) {
+        this.setMetadataValue(key, metadataValue);
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    public DocumentBuilder withMetadataValue(String key, String[] metadataValue) {
+        this.setMetadataValue(key, metadataValue);
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    public DocumentBuilder withMetadataValue(String key, Integer metadataValue) {
+        this.setMetadataValue(key, metadataValue);
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    public DocumentBuilder withMetadataValue(String key, Integer[] metadataValue) {
+        this.setMetadataValue(key, metadataValue);
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    public DocumentBuilder withMetadata(Map<String, Object> metadata) {
+        metadata.forEach(this::setMetadataValue);
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    public DocumentBuilder withAllowedPermissions() {
+        // TODO
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    public DocumentBuilder withDeniedPermissions() {
+        // TODO
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    public String marshal() {
+        return new Gson().toJson(this.document);
+    }
+
+    private String dateFormat(DateTime dt) {
+        return dt.toString(ISODateTimeFormat.dateTime());
+    }
+
+    private void setMetadataValue(String key, Object metadataValue) {
+        this.validateReservedMetadataKeyNames(key);
+        this.document.metadata.put(key, metadataValue);
+    }
+
+    private void validateCompressedBinaryData(String data) {
+        // TODO
+    }
+
+    private void validateFileExtension(String fileExtension) {
+        // TODO
+    }
+
+    private void validateReservedMetadataKeyNames(String key) {
+        // TODO
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/coveo/testlocally/TestingLocally.java b/src/main/java/com/coveo/testlocally/TestingLocally.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6d5f9bce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/com/coveo/testlocally/TestingLocally.java
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+package com.coveo.testlocally;
+
+import com.coveo.pushapiclient.DocumentBuilder;
+
+import java.util.Date;
+
+public class TestingLocally {
+    public static void main(String[] args) {
+        DocumentBuilder doc = new DocumentBuilder("https://perdu.com", "the title").withData("this is searchable").withDate(new Date());
+        System.out.println(doc.marshal());
+    }
+}