diff --git a/packages/create-payload-app/src/lib/init-next.ts b/packages/create-payload-app/src/lib/init-next.ts
index 60c17adce..9e323e2fe 100644
--- a/packages/create-payload-app/src/lib/init-next.ts
+++ b/packages/create-payload-app/src/lib/init-next.ts
@@ -5,31 +5,39 @@ import path from 'path'
 import type { CliArgs } from '../types'
 
 import { copyRecursiveSync } from '../utils/copy-recursive-sync'
+import { error, info, debug as origDebug, success } from '../utils/log'
 
 export async function initNext(
   args: Pick<CliArgs, '--debug'> & { nextDir?: string; useDistFiles?: boolean },
 ): Promise<{ success: boolean }> {
   const { '--debug': debug, nextDir, useDistFiles } = args
+
+  info('Initializing Payload app in Next.js project', 1)
+
+  const logDebug = (message: string) => {
+    if (debug) origDebug(message)
+  }
+
   let projectDir = process.cwd()
   if (nextDir) {
     projectDir = path.resolve(projectDir, nextDir)
-    console.log(`Overriding project directory to ${projectDir}`)
+    if (debug) logDebug(`Overriding project directory to ${projectDir}`)
   }
 
   if (!fs.existsSync(projectDir)) {
-    console.log(`Could not find specified project directory at ${projectDir}`)
+    error(`Could not find specified project directory at ${projectDir}`)
     return { success: false }
   }
 
   const foundConfig = (await globby('next.config.*js', { cwd: projectDir }))?.[0]
   const nextConfigPath = path.resolve(projectDir, foundConfig)
   if (!fs.existsSync(nextConfigPath)) {
-    console.log(
+    error(
       `No next.config.js found at ${nextConfigPath}. Ensure you are in a Next.js project directory.`,
     )
     return { success: false }
   } else {
-    if (debug) console.log(`Found Next config at ${nextConfigPath}`)
+    if (debug) logDebug(`Found Next config at ${nextConfigPath}`)
   }
 
   const templateFilesPath =
@@ -37,23 +45,25 @@ export async function initNext(
       ? path.resolve(__dirname, '../..', 'dist/app')
       : path.resolve(__dirname, '../../../next/src/app')
 
-  console.log(`Using template files from: ${templateFilesPath}`)
+  if (debug) logDebug(`Using template files from: ${templateFilesPath}`)
 
   if (!fs.existsSync(templateFilesPath)) {
-    console.log(`Could not find template source files from ${templateFilesPath}`)
+    error(`Could not find template source files from ${templateFilesPath}`)
     return { success: false }
   } else {
-    console.log('Found template source files')
+    if (debug) logDebug('Found template source files')
   }
 
   const userAppDir = path.resolve(projectDir, 'src/app')
   if (!fs.existsSync(userAppDir)) {
-    console.log(`Could not find user app directory at ${userAppDir}`)
+    error(`Could not find user app directory at ${userAppDir}`)
     return { success: false }
   } else {
-    if (debug) console.log(`Found user app directory: ${userAppDir}`)
+    logDebug(`Found user app directory: ${userAppDir}`)
   }
 
+  logDebug(`Copying template files from ${templateFilesPath} to ${userAppDir}`)
   copyRecursiveSync(templateFilesPath, userAppDir, debug)
+  success('Successfully initialized.')
   return { success: true }
 }
diff --git a/packages/create-payload-app/src/utils/copy-recursive-sync.ts b/packages/create-payload-app/src/utils/copy-recursive-sync.ts
index dc1d6f8f9..9acf09798 100644
--- a/packages/create-payload-app/src/utils/copy-recursive-sync.ts
+++ b/packages/create-payload-app/src/utils/copy-recursive-sync.ts
@@ -11,11 +11,9 @@ export function copyRecursiveSync(src: string, dest: string, debug?: boolean) {
   if (isDirectory) {
     fs.mkdirSync(dest, { recursive: true })
     fs.readdirSync(src).forEach((childItemName) => {
-      if (debug) console.log(`Copying: ${src}/${childItemName} -> ${dest}/${childItemName}`)
       copyRecursiveSync(path.join(src, childItemName), path.join(dest, childItemName))
     })
   } else {
-    if (debug) console.log(`Copying: ${src} -> ${dest}`)
     fs.copyFileSync(src, dest)
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/create-payload-app/src/utils/log.ts b/packages/create-payload-app/src/utils/log.ts
index eb3459a21..ca6a53db7 100644
--- a/packages/create-payload-app/src/utils/log.ts
+++ b/packages/create-payload-app/src/utils/log.ts
@@ -9,10 +9,18 @@ export const warning = (message: string): void => {
   console.log(chalk.yellow('? ') + chalk.bold(message))
 }
 
-export const info = (message: string): void => {
-  console.log(`${chalk.yellow(figures.info)} ${chalk.bold(message)}`)
+export const info = (message: string, paddingTop?: number): void => {
+  console.log(
+    `${'\n'.repeat(paddingTop || 0)}${chalk.green(figures.pointerSmall)} ${chalk.bold(message)}`,
+  )
 }
 
 export const error = (message: string): void => {
   console.log(`${chalk.red(figures.cross)} ${chalk.bold(message)}`)
 }
+
+export const debug = (message: string): void => {
+  console.log(
+    `${chalk.gray(figures.pointerSmall)} ${chalk.bgGray('[DEBUG]')} ${chalk.gray(message)}`,
+  )
+}