diff --git a/packages/create-payload-app/src/main.ts b/packages/create-payload-app/src/main.ts
index 1f75656a54..c3411d35c0 100644
--- a/packages/create-payload-app/src/main.ts
+++ b/packages/create-payload-app/src/main.ts
@@ -281,7 +281,8 @@ export class Main {
       }
 
       info('Payload project successfully created!')
-      p.note(successMessage(projectDir, packageManager), chalk.bgGreen(chalk.black(' Next Steps ')))
+      p.log.step(chalk.bgGreen(chalk.black(' Next Steps ')))
+      p.log.message(successMessage(projectDir, packageManager))
       p.outro(feedbackOutro())
     } catch (err: unknown) {
       error(err instanceof Error ? err.message : 'An error occurred')
diff --git a/packages/create-payload-app/src/utils/messages.ts b/packages/create-payload-app/src/utils/messages.ts
index cd9af2f754..978e8aa8bf 100644
--- a/packages/create-payload-app/src/utils/messages.ts
+++ b/packages/create-payload-app/src/utils/messages.ts
@@ -59,12 +59,7 @@ export function successMessage(projectDir: string, packageManager: PackageManage
 ${header('Launch Application:')}
 
   - cd ./${relativePath}
-  - ${
-    packageManager === 'npm' ? 'npm run' : packageManager
-  } dev or follow directions in ${createTerminalLink(
-    'README.md',
-    `file://${path.resolve(projectDir, 'README.md')}`,
-  )}
+  - ${packageManager === 'npm' ? 'npm run' : packageManager} dev or follow directions in README.md
 
 ${header('Documentation:')}