Improve logging system with environment variable control

- Change default log level to 'warn' for production
- Add PAYLOAD_AUTOMATION_LOG_LEVEL environment variable
- Remove all verbose config-phase logs
- Add documentation for log level control

src/plugin/index.ts

@@ -145,7 +145,6 @@ export const workflowsPlugin =
       // CRITICAL: Modify existing collection configs BEFORE PayloadCMS processes them
       // This is the ONLY time we can add hooks that will actually work
       const logger = getConfigLogger()
-      logger.debug('Modifying collection configs...')
 
       if (config.collections && pluginOptions.collectionTriggers) {
         for (const [triggerSlug, triggerConfig] of Object.entries(pluginOptions.collectionTriggers)) {
@@ -159,7 +158,6 @@ export const workflowsPlugin =
           }
 
           const collection = config.collections[collectionIndex]
-          logger.debug(`Found collection '${triggerSlug}' - modifying its hooks...`)
 
           // Initialize hooks if needed
           if (!collection.hooks) {
@@ -266,7 +264,6 @@ export const workflowsPlugin =
 
           // Add the hook to the collection config
           collection.hooks.afterChange.push(automationHook)
-          logger.debug(`Added automation hook to '${triggerSlug}' - hook count: ${collection.hooks.afterChange.length}`)
         }
       }
 
@@ -275,17 +272,13 @@ export const workflowsPlugin =
       }
 
       const configLogger = getConfigLogger()
-      configLogger.debug(`Configuring workflow plugin with ${Object.keys(pluginOptions.collectionTriggers || {}).length} collection triggers`)
 
       // Generate cron tasks for workflows with cron triggers
       generateCronTasks(config)
 
       for (const step of pluginOptions.steps) {
         if (!config.jobs?.tasks?.find(task => task.slug === step.slug)) {
-          configLogger.debug(`Registering task: ${step.slug}`)
           config.jobs?.tasks?.push(step)
-        } else {
-          configLogger.debug(`Task ${step.slug} already registered, skipping`)
         }
       }
 
@@ -295,11 +288,9 @@ export const workflowsPlugin =
       // Set up onInit to register collection hooks and initialize features
       const incomingOnInit = config.onInit
       config.onInit = async (payload) => {
-        configLogger.info(`onInit called - collections: ${Object.keys(payload.collections).length}`)
 
         // Execute any existing onInit functions first
         if (incomingOnInit) {
-          configLogger.debug('Executing existing onInit function')
           await incomingOnInit(payload)
         }
 

src/plugin/init-webhook.ts

@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ export function initWebhookEndpoint(config: Config, webhookPrefix = 'webhook'):
   const logger = getConfigLogger()
   // Ensure the prefix starts with a slash
   const normalizedPrefix = webhookPrefix.startsWith('/') ? webhookPrefix : `/${webhookPrefix}`
-  logger.debug(`Adding webhook endpoint: ${normalizedPrefix}`)
 
   // Define webhook endpoint
   const webhookEndpoint = {
@@ -170,9 +169,5 @@ export function initWebhookEndpoint(config: Config, webhookPrefix = 'webhook'):
   if (!existingEndpoint) {
     // Combine existing endpoints with the webhook endpoint
     config.endpoints = [...(config.endpoints || []), webhookEndpoint]
-    logger.debug(`Webhook endpoint added at path: ${webhookEndpoint.path}`)
-    logger.debug('Webhook endpoint added')
-  } else {
-    logger.debug(`Webhook endpoint already exists at path: ${webhookEndpoint.path}`)
   }
 }

src/plugin/logger.ts

@@ -3,25 +3,40 @@ import type { Payload } from 'payload'
 // Global logger instance - use Payload's logger type
 let pluginLogger: null | Payload['logger'] = null
 
+/**
+ * Get the configured log level from environment variables
+ * Supports: PAYLOAD_AUTOMATION_LOG_LEVEL for unified control
+ * Or separate: PAYLOAD_AUTOMATION_CONFIG_LOG_LEVEL and PAYLOAD_AUTOMATION_LOG_LEVEL
+ */
+function getConfigLogLevel(): string {
+  return process.env.PAYLOAD_AUTOMATION_CONFIG_LOG_LEVEL || 
+         process.env.PAYLOAD_AUTOMATION_LOG_LEVEL || 
+         'warn' // Default to warn level for production
+}
+
 /**
  * Simple config-time logger for use during plugin configuration
  * Uses console with plugin prefix since Payload logger isn't available yet
  */
 const configLogger = {
   debug: <T>(message: string, ...args: T[]) => {
-    if (!process.env.PAYLOAD_AUTOMATION_CONFIG_LOGGING) {return}
-    console.log(`[payload-automation] ${message}`, ...args)
+    const level = getConfigLogLevel()
+    if (level === 'silent' || (level !== 'debug' && level !== 'trace')) {return}
+    console.debug(`[payload-automation] ${message}`, ...args)
   },
   error: <T>(message: string, ...args: T[]) => {
-    if (!process.env.PAYLOAD_AUTOMATION_CONFIG_LOGGING) {return}
+    const level = getConfigLogLevel()
+    if (level === 'silent') {return}
     console.error(`[payload-automation] ${message}`, ...args)
   },
   info: <T>(message: string, ...args: T[]) => {
-    if (!process.env.PAYLOAD_AUTOMATION_CONFIG_LOGGING) {return}
-    console.log(`[payload-automation] ${message}`, ...args)
+    const level = getConfigLogLevel()
+    if (level === 'silent' || level === 'error' || level === 'warn') {return}
+    console.info(`[payload-automation] ${message}`, ...args)
   },
   warn: <T>(message: string, ...args: T[]) => {
-    if (!process.env.PAYLOAD_AUTOMATION_CONFIG_LOGGING) {return}
+    const level = getConfigLogLevel()
+    if (level === 'silent' || level === 'error') {return}
     console.warn(`[payload-automation] ${message}`, ...args)
   }
 }
@@ -39,8 +54,13 @@ export function getConfigLogger() {
  */
 export function initializeLogger(payload: Payload): Payload['logger'] {
   // Create a child logger with plugin identification
+  // Use PAYLOAD_AUTOMATION_LOG_LEVEL as the primary env var
+  const logLevel = process.env.PAYLOAD_AUTOMATION_LOG_LEVEL || 
+                   process.env.PAYLOAD_AUTOMATION_LOGGING || // Legacy support
+                   'warn' // Default to warn level for production
+  
   pluginLogger = payload.logger.child({
-    level: process.env.PAYLOAD_AUTOMATION_LOGGING || 'silent',
+    level: logLevel,
     plugin: '@xtr-dev/payload-automation'
   })
   return pluginLogger