Do i need the txt file?

if i want to allow everyone

[markbiz]

If i want to allow all spiders to my site, do i really need the robots.txt file and robot meta-tags on my site?

[ogletree]

No you don't but you might want to put a blank file there just so you don't get so many 404's

[Navdeep]

and ogletree that blank file has to be named "robot.txt".

thanks
Navdeep s

[encyclo]

that blank file has to be named "robot.txt"

A common mistake (or perhaps just a typo). the filename should be robots.txt, and it must be placed in the document root directory.