diff --git a/cypress/support/bot.ts b/cypress/support/bot.ts
index 2799927916..770a89e818 100644
--- a/cypress/support/bot.ts
+++ b/cypress/support/bot.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import type { ISendEventResponse, MatrixClient, Room } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/m
 import { HomeserverInstance } from "../plugins/utils/homeserver";
 import { Credentials } from "./homeserver";
 import Chainable = Cypress.Chainable;
+import { collapseLastLogGroup } from "./log";
 
 interface CreateBotOpts {
     /**
@@ -65,6 +66,7 @@ declare global {
              * @param opts create bot options
              */
             getBot(homeserver: HomeserverInstance, opts: CreateBotOpts): Chainable<CypressBot>;
+
             /**
              * Returns a new Bot instance logged in as an existing user
              * @param homeserver the instance on which to register the bot user
@@ -78,18 +80,21 @@ declare global {
                 password: string,
                 opts: CreateBotOpts,
             ): Chainable<MatrixClient>;
+
             /**
              * Let a bot join a room
              * @param cli The bot's MatrixClient
              * @param roomId ID of the room to join
              */
             botJoinRoom(cli: MatrixClient, roomId: string): Chainable<Room>;
+
             /**
              * Let a bot join a room by name
              * @param cli The bot's MatrixClient
              * @param roomName Name of the room to join
              */
             botJoinRoomByName(cli: MatrixClient, roomName: string): Chainable<Room>;
+
             /**
              * Send a message as a bot into a room
              * @param cli The bot's MatrixClient
@@ -173,15 +178,21 @@ Cypress.Commands.add("getBot", (homeserver: HomeserverInstance, opts: CreateBotO
     opts = Object.assign({}, defaultCreateBotOptions, opts);
     const username = Cypress._.uniqueId(opts.userIdPrefix);
     const password = Cypress._.uniqueId("password_");
+    Cypress.log({
+        name: "getBot",
+        message: `Create bot user ${username} with opts ${JSON.stringify(opts)}`,
+        groupStart: true,
+    });
     return cy
         .registerUser(homeserver, username, password, opts.displayName)
         .then((credentials) => {
-            cy.log(`Registered bot user ${username} with displayname ${opts.displayName}`);
             return setupBotClient(homeserver, credentials, opts);
         })
         .then((client): Chainable<CypressBot> => {
             Object.assign(client, { __cypress_password: password });
-            return cy.wrap(client as CypressBot);
+            Cypress.log({ groupEnd: true, emitOnly: true });
+            collapseLastLogGroup();
+            return cy.wrap(client as CypressBot, { log: false });
         });
 });
 
@@ -194,9 +205,21 @@ Cypress.Commands.add(
         opts: CreateBotOpts,
     ): Chainable<MatrixClient> => {
         opts = Object.assign({}, defaultCreateBotOptions, { bootstrapCrossSigning: false }, opts);
-        return cy.loginUser(homeserver, username, password).then((credentials) => {
-            return setupBotClient(homeserver, credentials, opts);
+        Cypress.log({
+            name: "loginBot",
+            message: `log in as ${username} with opts ${JSON.stringify(opts)}`,
+            groupStart: true,
         });
+        return cy
+            .loginUser(homeserver, username, password)
+            .then((credentials) => {
+                return setupBotClient(homeserver, credentials, opts);
+            })
+            .then((res) => {
+                Cypress.log({ groupEnd: true, emitOnly: true });
+                collapseLastLogGroup();
+                cy.wrap(res, { log: false });
+            });
     },
 );
 
diff --git a/cypress/support/log.ts b/cypress/support/log.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b8d0449da5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cypress/support/log.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2023 The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+/// <reference types="cypress" />
+
+declare global {
+    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-namespace
+    namespace Cypress {
+        // secret undocumented options to Cypress.log
+        interface LogConfig {
+            /** begin a new log group; remember to match with `groupEnd` */
+            groupStart: boolean;
+
+            /** end a log group that was previously started with `groupStart` */
+            groupEnd: boolean;
+
+            /** suppress regular output: useful for closing a log group without writing another log line */
+            emitOnly: boolean;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/** collapse the last open log group in the Cypress UI
+ *
+ * Credit to https://j1000.github.io/blog/2022/10/27/enhanced_cypress_logging.html
+ */
+export function collapseLastLogGroup() {
+    const openExpanders = window.top.document.getElementsByClassName("command-expander-is-open");
+    const numExpanders = openExpanders.length;
+    const el = openExpanders[numExpanders - 1];
+    if (el) el.parentElement.click();
+}
diff --git a/cypress/support/login.ts b/cypress/support/login.ts
index 308c1ea639..b830c23f1e 100644
--- a/cypress/support/login.ts
+++ b/cypress/support/login.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 import Chainable = Cypress.Chainable;
 import { HomeserverInstance } from "../plugins/utils/homeserver";
+import { collapseLastLogGroup } from "./log";
 
 export interface UserCredentials {
     accessToken: string;
@@ -100,6 +101,7 @@ Cypress.Commands.add(
         prelaunchFn?: () => void,
         userIdPrefix = "user_",
     ): Chainable<UserCredentials> => {
+        Cypress.log({ name: "initTestUser", groupStart: true });
         // XXX: work around Cypress not clearing IDB between tests
         cy.window({ log: false }).then((win) => {
             win.indexedDB.databases()?.then((databases) => {
@@ -140,6 +142,13 @@ Cypress.Commands.add(
                         // wait for the app to load
                         return cy.get(".mx_MatrixChat", { timeout: 30000 });
                     })
+                    .then(() => {
+                        Cypress.log({
+                            groupEnd: true,
+                            emitOnly: true,
+                        });
+                        collapseLastLogGroup();
+                    })
                     .then(() => ({
                         password,
                         username,